Cold Winter's Depth
by Mishi Kawaii
Summary: She’d never heard a voice as beautiful as his, never as close to her as his. She’d only been visiting, it had been a business trip. Damn InuYasha for needing to face his father after five years and having to have a gorgeous, mysterious older brother.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Lights of Introduction

The streets were unusually empty. The entire town had dressed up and congregated in the plaza for the annual winter festival. The loud music and conversations carried through the empty alleyways. Snow had begun to fall along with the descent of the sun into the horizon. He shoved his hands into his pockets and felt shivers as his cold hands met his warm body. One of the street lamps flickered on and seemed to ignite the others into life. A breeze began to pick up and he closed in upon himself, keeping his face to the ground. Soon another set of footsteps joined his own, both slightly muffled by the snow.

"You should know better than to wander out on your own."

They continued walking side by side, neither speaking a word. A figure ahead of them caught their attention. A gril tripping over her long dress, curls in disarray. Her coat covered her from neck to ankles, but she had still managed to catch the attention of a group of misfits. As she came closer he could see her short breaths formalized into smoke in the frozen night.

"Sess-."

They stopped simultaneously, looking at one another.

"Brother," he continued, "that figure is awfully familiar."

"Hn."

"I think that's Rin."

The footsteps grew closer until the body of the girl dropped at their feet. One of them kneeled down and hooked the girl up by the shoulders.

"Oh Kami, Miroku," she breathed. "I-."

"Save it, I've covered for you one too many times."

The group of, now obviously, men came to a stop at the sight of the three. Miroku and Rin looked to the last brother and watched him slowly raise his line of vision. The group of men burst into laughter at the sight.

"Well if it isn't Touga Takahashi's oldest son, Sesshomaru."

"The mute?"

"None other than gentlemen. The great tycoon's greatest shame before our very eyes."

Rin fought against her brother, "He isn't mute!"

"Quiet yourself girl!" they snarled. "This entire bloody town knows he hasn't spoken a word in his life."

A pair of footsteps approached them from the street.

"Boys, lady, is there a problem here?"

Rin looked up at the chubby policeman with a smile, "No officer. Just a minor disagreement that has just been resolved. My brothers and I were about to leave."

In response Rin began to tug at Miroku's black coat. After a bit of resistance he turned and Sesshomaru followed. The cop didn't budge until the headlights of their small car disappeared at a nearby intersection.

"You boys," he began, "should pick your fights with smaller prey. That man's father could have your asses out on the street before you blinked again."

"Keep your thoughts to yourself old man."

They turned and walked away, grumbling among themselves at the loss of a rich girl for the night. They'd try again until Touga Takahashi intervened, his sons weren't threat enough. Not yet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Cold Winter's Depth** – _Chapter 2_: Under Those Circumstances

A house isn't automatically a home, as many are told early on. A home is where one is comfortable and has a piece of oneself in every nook and cranny. A home can be a house, a loft, a penthouse, an apartment. In short, a home is a comfortable place of living. Kagome had chosen hers particularly for the peace that surrounded it. For a single woman, she lived comfortably in her penthouse overlooking the lake her parents used to visit. It held personal value and she could not help but to stick to it when she was left with no choice than to stay close to her company. From the door onto the frame of her bedroom door, the entire house was decked out in white. In the early morning and during the sunset, the sunrays would give the walls an iridescent glow that she could only compare to falling diamonds. Her room lay in the richer colors of crimson and gold with soft lighting from tall lamps. Her bed engulfed her small form in a plush down comforter and four large pillows.

The soft sounds of a guitar drifted to her dozing ears and her eyes fluttered open, squinting against the sunlight that filtered in through her drapes. _Lost without you, can't help myself-_.

"Hello?"

"Kagome? Where are you? You _do_ remember that the representative from Japan is coming today right? He's due here in fifteen minutes, if he's early."

"Sango? What time is it?" she groaned, and turned over in her bed looking for a digital clock.

"It's almost eight thirty."

Kagome's eyes snapped open. She hadn't slept in for months, her biological clock was sharp and on time every time. She should've been awake by six and ready to go half an hour after. She was an hour and a half late, her ongoing example of the value of punctuality was shattered.

"Damnit!"

She was sorry for hanging up on Sango, she really was. But even so, she threw her cell phone across the room, landing without a noise in the plush carpet, and ran into the shower. Fifteen minutes later she was locking her door and hoping to all existing Gods that she had applied her make up on correctly. She slammed her car door shut and sped across the streets like a bat straight out of the fiery depths of hell. The representative from Japan was their tough break. If they could convince him to buy into their product, they'd almost be number one in their market. InuYasha, her financial advisor, had confided in her his great faith in the company. She'd thought it somewhat strange that the last names had been the same, but concluded that they may be related and would only prove to be in her favor._Lost without-_.

"Hello?"

"Kagome, the representative from Japan is on his way from the airport. He should be here within the hour. Should I prepare the Costanzia Room for a presentation?"

"Yes, thank you Sango. Make sure InuYasha and Hojo are ready to go. Tell them to run through to make sure that there are no glitches in their presentations and that they have all the answers to any possible questions."

"Will do, coffee?"

"Loaded. Have you found out what this representative prefers?"

"He likes cappuccino in black mugs, there is one ready to go for him."

"Good. Thank you Sango, I appreciate your work."

"Thanks Kagome, I know you're under pressure."

"You've no idea," she paused for a second to zoom past other cars through the E-Z tag lane and ignored the honks from other cars as she crossed the highway towards the familiar exit.

"Make sure Mark and the other guys are ready to take the car, I don't want to deal with the traffic of other workers being late."

"They're already down there."

Kagome smiled as she saw her personal favorite valet parker ready at the front of the crystal building. She snapped her phone shut, sadly Sango must have been used to it, and grabbed her briefcase. She jumped out of her car after waving at Mark and jogged into the building.

"Good morning Ms. Higurashi."

"Morning Mr. Alabaster."

Normally she would've stayed to chatter a bit with her security guard, she wanted loyalty above anything else, but this morning she was bit off schedule. She punched the elevator button and waited anxiously as the glass cube lowered itself all the way down to the first floor. She stepped in, pressed nine, and jammed the 'Close Door' button with everything she had. The oncoming crowd of employees stood outside of the closing doors knowing better than to try and squeeze in with the owner. From her glass cage, she could see a rather young and handsome Japanese man, flanked by four men in suits, reaching the lobby and bowing in respect to the receptionist. She couldn't help but giggle at Kikyou's flushed appearance. A minute later she watched the glass doors slide out and give her a complete view of the hustle and bustle of work. Sango greeted her and took her suitcase, handing her a portfolio.

"It is the exact copy of what InuYasha and Hojo gave you earlier, they knew that they were not to make any last minute adjustments without your consent. Also, Kikyou has made us aware that the representative, Miroku Takahashi, has arrived and will be escorted to the Costanzia Room. Your coffee has been placed at the head of the table and his cappuccino has been placed on the seat adjacent to yours on the right."

Kagome stopped and placed her free hand on Sango's shoulder, effectively stopping her mile-a-minute speech.

"It would seem that you are more nervous for this presentation than the people directly involved."

Sango sighed, "Kags, I know how hard you've been working on this."

Kagome smiled, "You're the best Sango. I'll make sure you take a break soon."

Sango nodded her head in acceptance and they parted ways. Kagome's stride was quick and full of energy. The anticipation of a deal made her anxious. She sighed in relief when she found both InuYasha and Hojo going over their presentation.

"Ms. Higurashi!"

Hojo's excited greeting cut InuYasha's speech short. Kagome noted the frustrated look InuYasha shot his current partner. She's make it a point to never have them in the same room for more than an hour.

"This is your audience's profile, picture and all," she stated confidently, waving the portfolio at them. "Miroku Takahashi is the Vice president of Amisai Corporations and has made the trip in his father's stead, Mr.-."

"Touga Takahashi," InuYasha inserted, his body tense.

Kagome looked his way with dread filling her. She realized that InuYasha must know of the family or the corporation in some way other than through this meeting. It obviously wasn't good knowledge either.

"InuYasha, listen to me carefully," she ground out, suddenly livid, "I don't care what information or ties you have to the man that is coming today but make sure that you present your work professionally. I've made it clear from day one that in a work setting I don't care who your family is, who your friends are: This is your job."

Sango walked in at that moment, speaking impeccable Japanese in polite, hushed tones to a good looking man. She bowed as he entered the room and he seemed pleased…until his eyes met with InuYasha. His smile seemed to disappear into thin air as he tensed into an angry, stiff posture.

"I'm afraid that before any of this began you have lost some credibility in my eyes Higurashi-sama," he said, slowly turning to face her.

"I would have thought you a bit more professional Takahashi-sama, whatever your personal problems may be with any of my staff, that shouldn't stop you from seeing the integrity of my company as a whole."

The man seemed to look at her in a new light, as his smile slowly returned.

"You are right, and for this I will honor you and stay for your presentation."

Sango quickly pulled his seat for him, "I hope you enjoy your cappuccino."

He looked at her with an appreciative smile, "I should hope so."

Sango's face slowly reddened into a blush that only made him smile more, and she had no choice but to bow once again and leave as soon as possible. Kagome caught the slight widening of his eyes when Sango bent low, low enough for him to catch a glimpse of her cleavage. She let it slip and would call the situation even.

The presentation continued and, thankfully, InuYasha got too involved in his presentation to feel tense or to exude any more nervousness. Hojo complemented InuYasha's ideals with research and everything went over smoothly.

"I am satisfied with your level of work and would be most pleased to have you present your ideals for our company in the presence of my father in Nihon."

Kagome looked at him incredulously, "You want us to go to Japan, Nihon, to present perhaps the beginning of our project for your company?"

"Yes, if my father finds you have great potential, then any of your competitors for this contract will be null and void. It is my greatest joy to tell you that none so far can compare."

"But-."

"Unless of course you are unable to make the trip?"

"I am, it's just that-."

"Then I'm sure within the month I should expect you. Perhaps you'd even consider opening an extension of your company there so that we may work closely together, of course this is if and only if you meet my father's expectations. I must warn you they are quite high, some have found them rather hard to meet."

Kagome followed his eyes to InuYasha, who looked away with a hardened expression.

"I will make sure to send you information about our company as soon as I reach my homeland tonight."

"You have a flight tonight already?"

He smiled and chuckled, "I was here merely on business Higurashi-sama. Tonight I return and tomorrow I return to my father's company."

Kagome smiled, "Let me escort you to the front Takahashi-sama."

They left then, together, with his body guards following them closely. She found him to be honest and amusing, traits to add on to his perverseness. They bowed to each other once again and she watched him leave in a black car, she'd secretly been expecting a limousine. She steeled herself and returned inside and back to her office. There she let herself be consumed by her thoughts on InuYasha and his relations to Takahashi Miroku. She was torn. InuYasha and Kikyou were employees, friends, and (above all) family. The fact that they seemed to have held something back left her emotionally hurt and professionally weary. Leaning back into her chair, she realized that she couldn't expect them to divulge all of their secrets either. 

"Kagome?"

Her stormy blue eyes snapped to her door, where Sango stood indecisively.

"Come in Sango," she invited softly. "It's been a long day."

"Actually, I was letting you know that Kikyou and InuYasha are waiting for you."

Kagome nodded, "Might as well get it out of the way. Send any other appointments to Souta."

She admitted that it had taken a while before she'd integrated her brother into his rightful station in the company, but it had been well worth it. Her workload has typically smaller now that she could delegate half to him. Also, during that time, Souta had taken it upon himself to work his way up in the company. Thought it may have been unconscious, Souta had gained the respect of his coworkers, whom he now led with upmost confidence.

"Kagome?"

"InuYasha. Kikyou."

They both sat down, InuYasha looking mildly uncomfortable. Kagome leaned back in her swivel chair and let herself come out of her business character, if only to listen to her friends.

"Give me the story guys."

Kikyou crossed her arms and stared ahead. InuYasha cleared his throat and attempted to loosen his collar and tie.

"Miroku Takahashi is one of my brothers."

Kagome's eyes snapped open, her mouth agape in shock. Old enemy she'd been ready for. Family, however, was a great shock. True, she'd been careful to avoid the subject at Kikyou's insistence, but to hide something like that in business was akin to betrayal.

"A-Are you a-?"

"I'm not a spy," InuYasha ground out, clearly offended. "I left my family a year before Kikyou and I married each other. Long story short, certain circumstances would've landed me with Miroku's job and an arranged marriage that would've been more profitable than my current one."

"Miroku is married?" Kagome questioned, aghast at his previous actions.

"Not willingly. Perhaps he's never seen his wife aside from the wedding, which must've been a huge business convention if anything."

Kagome looked at him strangely, "So you ran away to be with Kikyou and left the youngest to take the heavy burden for you."

"I wouldn't quite put it that way, but yes. The oldest of us is… indisposed."

"Be it as it may, I would ask that both of you prepare your bags and reports," she warned, waving a file at InuYasha. "Your assignment is to create advertisement samples for Amisai in two weeks. Kikyou, draw up sufficient orientation for your assistant so that she may have the proper tools to take over for you."

"Kagome…" InuYasha pleaded.

She glared and he knew he'd lost as she quickly reverted to her business persona.

"You_will_ go and you _will_ make amends. You are an adult and as such you should realize that you can't leave a family behind when things don't work out. I'm sure Kikyou understands this quite clearly."

"Kagome," Kikyou warned.

"No, there will be no men in my family that will ever run out on a family again. He was selfish enough to leave the burden to them. Your children and you as well Kikyou should know who you are related to and who your family is. Families aren't one sided. You are both dismissed. Kikyou, get a hold of Souta for me and get him in here. InuYasha, Hojo's afraid of planes. You may find yourself a suitable replacement. Sango?"

The door to her office slowly edged open with Sango's sheepish smile greeting her, "Hai Kagome?"

"Book five tickets to whatever airport in Japan two weeks from now. Also, round up the bulk of the research team for a meeting at two. It's also nearing noon."

"No lunch dates have been set," she contributed, watching InuYasha and Kikyou squeeze past her. "Your younger brother, however, wished to extend an invitation."

Kagome smiled, 'I'll be more than happy to accept. As for you, I'd suggest you go find Kikyou. I know you're itching for gossip."

"Yes ma'am!"

Sango promptly left the room, leaving Kagome to her own devices. She picked up her purse and sunglasses and shut the door with force. Everybody in the small lobby jumped. After fumbling with her keys and managing to lock the door, she turned to find Souta waiting for her.

"Such a gentleman, to not make a big deal out of tardiness."

"It's a known fact among males that we are to wait on women and never the other way around," he explained with a grin.

He offered his elbow and they walked to the elevator together. They had a three year difference between them. While Kagome was twenty-four, Souta had barely hit twenty-one. Most had found them too young, but their energy and innovation made up for the lack of experience that came with age.

"So how'd that meeting go today?"

Kagome gave Souta a dead-pan look, "It was good enough for the midnight soap opera broadcast."

"That bad, huh?"

Souta chuckled as they made their way across the main floor towards the double doors. Understanding that the meeting was a topic for lunch, he gave her an update on statistics and different courses of actions.

"Oh, Mom wants you to call."

They walked to their destination, shoving through the crowds of New York. They almost sighed in relief at the appearance of the small Blooms & Berry restaurant. The hostess' face lit up and led them to a table. She giggled at Souta's greeting with the much over-exaggerated smile of one who is flirting with an accompanied stranger.

"Can I get you anything special to drink?"

"No," Kagome snapped, "but you _can_get me a change of attitude."

"I'm sorry Ms. Higurashi, did I displease you in any way?"

"I don't appreciate your friendliness towards my younger brother. Perhaps you'd like to do your job without having the need to try and get a date on the side?"

The waitress turned bright red and nodded, "Yes ma'am, anything to drink?"

Souta hung his head in defeat; Kagome could be intimidating when she felt threatened. To her, he was still too young to be getting girls out on dates, and definitely no girl could hit on him.

He glared at her half-heartedly, "I won't be surprised if she sends a different waitress over here after that verbal abuse."

Kagome smiled, "And how could that possibly be a bad thing?"

"Kagome, it's important that you understand that I am an adult."

Kagome looked at her brother with sympathetic eyes, "I know you are Souta. That is why I've decided to pursue the change of opening a branch abroad and letting you handle the business here for a while."

Souta rolled his eyes, "You leaving for a week-."

"Month. Months. Year. I'm not sure yet."

Souta's eyes widened. In return, Kagome smiled at his expression with endearment.

"So what made you decide to go? Is it the new contract?"

"It was somewhat of a suggestion, stipend, demand."

Souta nodded, "So I'll be left with the company on my own."

"Yep, I'll leave you the year's expectations and current project progress. Also, you have a meeting with one of the Playstation® representatives over a new game's advertisement for December."

I hope it was worth the wait, but it's written way in advance… on paper. Oh well, happy holidays and bring in the new year with safety in mind. InuYasha & Co. are all property of Rumiko Takahashi and the Playstation trademark belongs to it's respective owner (who's name escapes me at the moment).


	3. Chapter 3

**Cold Winter's Depth** - _Chapter 3_: Silence Worth A Thousand Words

-As a warning, I updated chapter 2 because I found that there was a chunk of the story missing. You'll find that the meeting has been filled in and that it'll make a bit more sense now. Sorry for my mistake!-

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The door opened and closed. The maid created a big commotion about one of the young masters being home so late. The family slowly flooded into the living room.

"Evening family," he greeted with a smile.

"Son, I trust your destination was fruitful."

Miroku looked to his father's weary expression. He knew the pain of not knowing where one of his own was had slowly taken some life out of him. He'd been at the receiving end of some of the worries his father had poured out late at night. Was his brother even alive?

"Somewhat. I've got the corporate head flying out with a team to present for you."

"Guests?" Rin asked excitedly.

"And?"

"And I may have run into a lost sheep from our rather disheveled herd," he said slowly, looking carefully at his father.

His father anxiously looked around, "Did you bring him to where he belongs? Surely he knows that he must make up for lost time-."

Sesshomaru stood up and left. They stared after him until he disappeared at the doorway.

"Dad, InuYasha is one of the financial heads for the advertising corporations that you'll be meeting with. He is also in charge of some of the project."

Touga stood up, easily towering over his youngest son, "Make sure that our city home is properly cleaned before we go back next week. Also, make sure that these people stay in that house with us. If you have to properly warn hotels, then do so. Rin."

"Yes daddy?"

He looked at his youngest and only daughter, "You are to give me all available information on these foreign people your brother has associated himself with."

"Dad…"

"Miroku, our family is supposed to stay together. I forgave you for your transgressions and so I will do the same for your brother. Do not get me wrong, there _will_ be a form of punishment."

Miroku glared straight at a nearby wall. He didn't believe in his brother's forgiveness. He'd readily left and saddled him with the family business, a task that would've been his.

"Son," his father looked at him, laying a heavy hand upon his shoulder, "we cannot keep grudges or resentment in this family. Your mother's dying wish was for me to keep this family together. I am sure that you will want your own sense of revenge, but keep your family ties in mind."

"There is no such thing as a family in my life."

In an instant, Touga knew he was speaking of his arranged marriage. His wife lived in a different home and they never spoke. Miroku left the room and Rin sighed loudly.

"You keep talking about how we can't keep resentment and how you've forgiven him for transgressions. The only transgression I see is the punishment he has to bear for this bloody company: To never know happiness with another. Hell, I've never even met the woman. The entire marriage was ridiculous. He needs a divorce."

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Courtesy of a flight attendant, Kagome held a strong drink in her hands. InuYasha had soon found out his sister-in-law wasn't one for flights. She sat far away from the windows and prayed all the way to Japan, and proceeded to kiss the airport ground when they landed.

"Kagome, stand up," Kikyou urged, fervently looking around at the passing travelers.

She stood up and adjusted her suit jacket, "Have any of you made arrangements for our extended stay?"

Her traveling companions looked at each other expectantly. Kagome almost turned back. Instead she raised her arms over her head with an annoyed expression.

"We'll figure something out. The cars, at least, have been arranged for already."

She tugged at her carry-on and began the arduous task of searching for her luggage. A crowd of people had already formed. Spotting a small opening, Kagome squeezed through the crowd and so their quest became a free for all. An hour later, Kagome held one of the receptionists by the throat with InuYasha trying to pry her off.

"What do you _mean_ our reservations were canceled?"

"Like I said, they were canceled yesterday morning. Insufficient funds?"

Before Kagome could fully register the clerk's contempt, and obvious stupidity, InuYasha managed to pull her away.

"Let's leave this for later. We should find a taxi or two and get situated in a hotel."

The group of five reluctantly agreed, Sango already on the phone with nearby hotels. As Kagome expected, InuYasha's unusual hair color drew attention to them. A group of men holding up signs caught Kagome's attention. She giggled and almost choked when she read her and her company's name on one of them. InuYasha had followed her line of vision and stiffened.

"I guess it may be too much of a coincidence that our transportation was canceled mysteriously and that they were sent for us, right?"

InuYasha glared at Hojo, whom had refused to be left behind in New York. Despite his great fear of heights, Hojo would not let Kagome leave for such an extended amount of time without him.

"My father is a part of a chain of companies that control almost all of Nihon. If he wanted us in a certain place tonight, he would give us no other choice."

"Are we to assume we're leaving with the driver then?"

Sango snapped her phone shut, "Yep. All hotels refuse us service after they hear any of our names, even with offers of cash."

"And so it shall be, " Kagome grunted, pulling her luggage toward the signs.

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When did one cross the line between adolescence and adulthood? In some ways he still felt like a child, servants constantly checking in, family keeping tabs on his whereabouts. His inability – no, his lack of want – to speak led the world to believe him incapacitated. They could not understand that he was not fit to emit another sound for the rest of his existence, they were a form of expression that he gave up in honor of his mother.

"Maru?"

His had turned slightly, watching his brother out of his peripheral vision.

"I'm guessing you don't like that Inu's coming back," Miroku started, closing the door behind him. "But I've been thinking and we both understand why he left, that girl was his life and he wasn't made for the job."

Miroku walked casually to a chair and made himself comfortable.

"I know it doesn't quite excuse him in your eyes, but I would give anything to have the life he has now. If I had been in his shoes, I'm sure I would've done the same."

He looked up and almost laughed at his brother's soft honey eyes.

"This isn't your fault Maru. I blame Nihon society."

Sesshomaru shook his head with a smirk. His brother may not blame him directly, but they both knew that if Sesshomaru would open his mouth and talk, take over the company, then Miroku would be free to divorce his current wife and find one more worthy of his devotion.

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"Master?"

Touga looked up over the rim of his reading glasses.

"There are a group of people with the young master at the gates."

"Then_ open_ them."

She turned and fled. Perhaps he'd been too harsh on the young girl, she was fairly new. It had been that imminent visit that had put him on edge in the first place, however. She'd unwittingly brought up the very subject that plagued his thoughts. His second son, the one he'd been relying on, was returning half-heartedly. He took in a deep breath and slowly released it with a smile – there were once days in which his second wife used to require that of him.

"Inu!"

He sighed; at least one of his own was easily willing to forget past transgressions. With that in mind, he left his chair and made his way out of his study, pausing only to lock the door. He passed by the staircase on his way to the living room and caught sight of his oldest walking back into his room. It had been that way the past few weeks since he'd learned of his brother's return. His oldest wasn't one to easily forget the past. However, in this case InuYasha wasn't seeking forgiveness – he hadn't been wrong in many ways. When he'd started the business he thought it would be a pride for any of his sons to take the reigns. Instead, it had become a burden – a constant quest for profit. No, Touga couldn't blame his son for leaving to pursue his own goals. As he walked forward his breath caught. His son had matured into a man away from his family. Even his voice had deepened into a likeness of his father's.

"Family," he greeted.

InuYasha's eyes caught his father's steady ones.

"Otou-sama," he greeted formally. "My wife, Kikyou."

Kikyou bowed quickly, keeping close to InuYasha. Miroky shifted his weight from leg to leg in discomfort.

"Otou-san, these are Kagome Higurashi, Sango Himura, and Hojo Asuka, respectively."

He nodded at each in silent acknowledgement, "I am pleased to be your host during your stay."

Kagome stepped forward, "I'm afraid I must ask why it is our reservations were cancelled and other arrangements were made without prior consent."

"I'm deeply apologetic if my actions seemed inappropriate or rude to you Higurashi-sama. It was merely my wish to make sure you were well attended to while in my country. Have I inconvenienced you in any way?"

"Our transportation was disposed of as well. I appreciate your taking us in as guests. If I may, however, I'd like to request that no such arrangements ever be made on my behalf, I find it insulting that you would think I could not provide for myself."

Touga smiled at the young woman. She looked incredibly young and had a smart mouth on her. In his mind, he found her personality not unlike Sesshomaru's.

'Girl, you've no idea the burden you've set upon your shoulders.'

"On a more personal note, I guess we are to consider each other family. I do not hold open hostility towards you and I expect the same."

Touga had the sudden urge to laugh. Kagome's character was comically straight forward and determined. Even the weeks he'd spent going through the information Rin had provided him with could've prepared him for the spit fire owner of Xaiden Image. Miroku, at his side, chuckled.

"I'm sure you must be tired from your trip. If you follow me I'll lead you to your respective rooms."

Kagome nodded, "If our host requires nothing more of us."

Touga nodded and the group followed after Miroku. Kagome made no move and halted InuYasha's progress. Soon, only the three were left.

"Perhaps my intrusion is out of bounds, but fir any progress to be made between us, professionally or not, with this arrangement…"

"Kagome," InuYasha warned.

"Inu, I'm sure your father would love to hear about your whereabouts. Takahashi-sama," she turned her gaze, "I'm sure you would agree with me that there is no time better than the present."

She patted his chest with a smile and walked away, leaving both males paralyzed. Miroku returned and laughed at their confused looks.

"Truly lost in thought?"

"You would be too if you'd just been convinced that another knows your thoughts better than yourself."

Miroku laughed, "She runs a successful business, doesn't she?"

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-InuYasha & Co. are respectively property of Rumiko Takahashi and the company names I've made up, I'm not sure that they exist.


	4. Chapter 4

**Cold Winter's Depth** – Chapter 4: Golden Cage

His sons, sans Sesshomaru, sat across from him in his office. Miroku's good mood had left him much too early on. Both of them seemed uncomfortable in their chairs, unsure as to how to act in the given situation.

"I'm sure our family isn't as close as it should be and perhaps it never will be. I am to understand that InuYasha is happy where he is now. Sesshomaru I leave to you. I will not intercede. He is of his own thinking."

InuYasha nodded. Sesshomaru, his oldest brother, did not take well to disloyalty. Even though he denied it through writing, in his eyes, Sesshomaru was vulnerable with his family. InuYasha had done him the ultimate wrong by running out on him, however indirectly. It would be hard to regain the trust he'd broken between his brother and himself, but before then he'd have to get the man to just stay in the same room for more than a few seconds.

"Well, I'm sure both of you must be tired from the day's activities. I hope you both have a good night. Miroku, I'm still waiting on that report from you. I trust it'll be in my possession by tomorrow."

"I'll get it done as early as possible," Miroku agreed.

He nodded and watched them leave. Truly, he was the only one at fault and could not find a way out of the mess he'd made. He picked up one of Sesshomaru's reports. Many on the company board felt that Sesshomaru, although a valuable asset, should not be involved so much inside of the company. It should be Miroku that was filing the reports and catching the mistakes inside of the company. However important their opinions may have been to him, however, Touga Takahashi refused to take away Sesshomaru's one passion: his job. He did his job with a precision he had not seen in any of his children; it would be stupid of him professionally to let him go.

_Amisai-Amaretsu Arrangement._ He'd asked Sesshomaru to look into the status of the arrangement he'd made with Kudoshi, Miroku's father-in-law. He'd had the feeling for a couple of months that he'd rushed into the agreement far too quickly. His knowledge on international affairs was limited and he'd been the only one involved. _Status: Failed._ His stomach slowly slipped into a bottomless abyss. He'd forced his son into a leadership position that didn't suit him, and then forced him into a loveless marriage. He had made awful mistakes professionally, and he'd failed irrevocably as a father. Could there possibly be a way out of the hole he'd dug himself into?

* * *

Kagome lay awake in her bed, staring into nothingness. It was a bad idea to have everybody under one roof. She felt nervous about the arrangements. One wrong move and they could end up on the hostile streets of Japan with no way to rent a room. The steady beating of rain brought her out of her musings into the calm rush of the crystalline water. She threw off her covers and walked to the only window in the room. Pushing the drapes to the side, she took in the extensive gardens illuminated only by the moon. Even through the glass she could feel the drop in the temperature and her skin broke out into chills. The drops of water sparkled, each catching bits and pieces of moonlight. 

Her thoughts turned to Miroku Takahashi. She wondered what it would be like if she had married for the sake of convenience. Could she truly live her life being married and not knowing her husband's whereabouts, perhaps his name? It was a horrifying nightmare even in thought. Could her loyalty to her family run as deep as Miroku's obviously did? She turned back to her bed with many thoughts coursing through her mind. Even so, however, the morning would prove to be interesting.

* * *

The atmosphere in his home had changed overnight. Even the silence he was accustomed to became overwhelming. The steady beating of rain had brought him back into the realm of consciousness. It was a better wake up call than that of the blundering maid from before. He finished pulling on a long sleeved shirt and glanced at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. As always, he noted the similarities to his mother. There were enough to keep her in his memory. 

"Master Sesshomaru?"

He looked at his door, wondering if the new maid honestly expected an answer. Perhaps she hoped for a beautiful miracle?

"Breakfast is ready," she announced.

He heard her footsteps fade away, am small bit of resentment began growing at her ignorance. A steady knock at his door brought him out of his dark thoughts. Perhaps the girl was back to ask more questions and still expecting audible answers.

"Maru?"

Miroku stuck his head inside with a wide grin. He answered with a blank expression, his eyes full of questions. Miroku wasn't one to knock; he walked wherever he pleased to his own amusement.

"I'm ready to see you to the breakfast table Silent One."

Sesshomaru shook his head and pushed past him. Even now, he knew that his brother only meant well in his jokes. He should've been used to all of the names he could've possibly ever been called.

"One of these days you'll talk and tell me what you really think about my skills."

Miroku continued holding his one-sided conversation, his voice the only sound in the empty halls. Usually Rin's music would be blasting from her small desktop speakers, his father's voice would float to his ears as he tried to reschedule appointments, and the maids would be gossiping about what they'd found in Miroku's laundry. Sometimes he believed that Miroku left things in there on purpose. He pushed the door open and noted that only two seats were left. His eyes caught his brother's among a sea of strangers. Of their own accord, his eyes narrowed. It had become an instinctive reaction to InuYasha's name, his face, anything.

"Good morning!"

Miroku pushed him towards his chair and the tense silence he'd sensed strengthened. He continued staring at InuYasha, whom carefully avoided his eyes. There was no guilt in his features, only a shameful regret. As it may have been, it didn't excuse him from the effort he'd have to put forward in order to make up for the sacrifice Miroku had made on his behalf. Sesshomaru was not one for forgiveness. After all, how could he forgive others when he couldn't forgive himself?

* * *

After an uneventful morning and much anticipated presentation on InuYasha and Hojo's behalf, the group patiently watched the Amisai board finish up their notes. Slowly, one by one they put down their pens and nodded at their head, Touga. 

"I am well satisfied with your company's work Higurashi-san. If none of my board has questions, we will continue our meeting and decide whether another company is better suited than your own."

Kagome nodded, her body frozen in place. She didn't remember any other such high-stress situation, perhaps this was the way of international business.

"Board members?"

They shook their heads and slowly Kagome's team filed out of the conference room. InuYasha, the only one in their group familiar with Japan, offered to take them all to a nearby coffee house in order to soothe their nerves and pass the time. The final verdict would be ready later on, the board members would be picking apart all of the presentations and the financial charts and were most efficient in their job.

* * *

Touga chuckled as he filled his oldest in on the meeting. 

"Out of all the companies I met, I liked them the most. They had answers for everything; I couldn't imagine a more, well-prepared group. They relied on each other and worked with their strengths."

Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow, his pen stopped writing in expectation.

"No, not because it was my son that had a hand in it."

His pen went back to the elegant penmanship covering half of the contract.

"It's a brilliant idea. The motto has a new light shining upon it. It highlights our main points exceptionally well-. It made me want to partner with myself!"

Sesshomaru handed him the contract with notes scribbled everywhere in an elegantly laid out mess.

"I would like for you to meet these people and get a feel for them. It is my belief that they are honest and loyal. Breakfast this morning doesn't count as you meeting them Sesshomaru," he said, catching his pointed look. "And I know it isn't like you could hold a conversation with them, but you could always try-."

His secretary's voice droned out his sentence, to his annoyance. Sesshomaru left the room, leaving his father to the board's decision. He was no idiot, Touga Takahashi was out to reconcile his two sons and possibly lure one back into the company.

* * *

He damned Kagome Higurashi to hell repeatedly the moment he set food inside Amisai's main branch for the third time. The day before, they'd been acknowledged as the best team and had been given a proposal to sign. As part of the contract, all of them held a place inside of Amisai until Kagome had a branch built in Japan for them to direct. The most shameful part of it, however, was InuYasha's. He'd been given his old office, close to the top floor, and he hadn't heard the end of it. Millions of conversations were buzzing around him, even in the elevators. The most popular theory was that he'd failed in his endeavors and his ever gracious father had taken him in. 

When Kikyou offered him a job he'd been thankful. He'd been grateful to Kagome for the opportunity to rebuild his life without too many questions. After making himself financially stable, he'd married Kikyou. He'd hurt her by refusing a holy union, but he couldn't bear the thought of not having his family present. At that moment in time, he knew that was near impossible. If they found out where he was, he'd been dragged back into his father's arms and business.

"Do you think Ms. Higurashi would like it if I…"

InuYasha tuned him out. If it wasn't worse, he had to share his space with Hojo Asuka. After the first few weeks of working together, Asuka had found InuYasha to be a reliable confidant and confessed to being in love with Kagome Higurashi. InuYasha hadn't cared, but Asuka had begun to relate every 'beautiful aspect of her personality' in detail. Every bloody day.

"Have you seen her today InuYasha?"

He looked up with annoyance, "No Asuka, I'm nowhere near her office and I've been with you the entire time."

"Oh, that's right. Do you know what kind of…"

InuYasha looked at the door longingly. Time was unmerciful and slow. He prayed to God for salvation from the horror that Hojo Asuka embodied in his present life.

* * *

Miroku leaned back in his office chair, the perfect picture of serenity. His coat hung on a cherry wood coat hanger close to the door, his briefcase lay open on a corner of his cluttered desk. He chewed on one of his pens, reading through a contract he would have to sign or reject with a full explanation. He flipped a page and saw number figures and groaned. There they were, the hieroglyphics of his life: mathematic symbols and charts. It was moments such as those (that came almost every day) that Miroku realized just how much better Sesshomaru was at running Amisai than he. The oldest was the one that excelled in his endeavors, whereas the other two had two halves of the knowledge. InuYasha had mathematics down pat, Miroku had people skills. 

Later on that night, Miroku's pensiveness seemed to have traveled on to Kagome, who (once again) lay awake in her bed. Her earlier victory lay fresh on her mind and kept her awake with different plans that she was trying to piece together. In a fit of frustration, she threw off her covers and decided that perhaps a midnight snack could help occupy her mind. It was closer to two in the morning than to midnight and she had assured herself that nobody could possibly be awake to witness her escapade. With the confidence of a successful business woman, Kagome slipped out of her room wearing small, white shorts and a white tank top. The house lay dormant with scarce light.

"Inu!"

Kagome's hands flew to her mouth and stomach, respectively, and hurried down the hallway. Certainly, her family could only give her nightmares. She reached the bottom of the stairs in record time, adrenaline drowning out any other noise.

"Ugh," she muttered, "disgusting."

She pushed the door to the kitchen and closed her eyes at the sudden bright light, her arms up trying to lessen the effect.

"Higurashi-san, what a pleasure."

Kagome froze, catching sight of the man that would take over Amisai (Miroku Takahashi) eating a sandwich with a pleased smile.

"Takahashi-sama," she greeted, slowly adjusting to the lighting and the situation she found herself in.

"Just Miroku's fine. We're family after all, aren't we?"

Kagome smiled, "Yes, but you must also call me Kagome."

He nodded, "Kagome, this is Sesshomaru."

Kagome turned to a man that she'd totally missed. Perhaps the lights coupled with the stress of work had finally done her in. How could anybody miss him, he stuck out like sore thumb against the brilliant marble tiles in the kitchen…

"Kagome?"

"Huh?"

Miroku couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. It was rather… different. Both men were used to the sad, regretful looks. The kind of look that all gold diggers took when they realized that Takahashi Sesshomaru was a lost cause.

"This here is the oldest son, the one with all the brains in Amisai."

Kagome snapped herself out of her mindless staring, his cold eyes and stiff demeanor obviously projected discomfort. She herself felt rather awkward, it _would_ be her luck to meet co-workers in such an embarrassing state of dress.

"Ah, I'm sorry, gomen nasai. I just hadn't expected… I'm so embarrassed," she said, looking down at her sleeping clothes and then the door.

"He'll get over it," Miroku interrupted. "Anything we can help you with in particular?"

"No, just out for a midnight snack."

He smiled, "Alright. We'll leave you to your exploring. Good night."

Kagome watched them leave, both still in their clothes from the day before sans the coats and ties. She dropped herself into a nearby table with wide eyes. The oldest brother, Sesshomaru Takahashi, was nothing short of an enigma.

'_Incapacitated_.'

He looked positively healthy, if not a little rude and cold. His shoulders were broad and his hands dwarfed hers, judging only by vision. His eyes, however, were far different from his family's. Sesshomaru's eyes were harsh, amber stones filled with cool disregard. Kagome could've sworn she'd turned into a statue in that moment his eyes had swept over her. She had never felt so intimidated by anybody.

'To think he could've been the righteous owner of Amisai…'

The company would've known no bounds. Their success would've been remarkable under such a character. His flawless poker face would elude the competition and, if he was indeed the brains inside of his father's company, he would've outsmarted them all.

'What could his problem possibly be?'

Settling for an apple from a fruit basket, she returned to her room. Thankfully the halls were silent even as her door clicked closed.

* * *

The next morning Kagome found the Takahashi family passing around plates of food to one another. Sango stood off to the side, waiting. 

"Good morning guys."

Sango smiled, "Hello Kags, care to try and steal breakfast?"

Kagome laughed along with her friend until she caught Sesshomaru studying her. She felt the age-old urge to see what was on her face to make her so interesting. Miroku noticed and pushed his elbow into his brother's ribs.

"Stop staring, it's impolite"

In response, Sesshomaru left the breakfast table. Miroku chuckled and continued to eat. InuYasha shook his head and Kikyou looked fairly uncomfortable sitting next to Rin, the youngest of the Takahashi family. Rin wasn't making a big secret of a small dislike of her new-found sister-in-law. For whatever reason, Rin had not taken to Kikyou as most people did.

"I'm afraid you'll have to excuse my sons, they were never much for social manners."

Kagome shook her head, "There's nothing to apologize for. I'm sure he just realized he'd forgotten something."

"Sit down girl. Today I wish for you to allow my daughter Rin to give you a tour of your surroundings. I hope that this will make you feel more comfortable. I'm sure you dislike relying on us to get you from Point A to Point B."

Kagome took a seat, listening intently to his plans. Rin, his daughter, sat across from her with a cheerful smile, a stark contrast to the glower that had set upon her face when her attention was solely upon Kikyou.

"Soon the final contract will be given to my sons then to myself. Until then, take this as a small vacation."

Kagome held his gaze with questioning eyes, "Vacation?"

Sango's laughter filled the dining room, "Vacation isn't in her dictionary!"

Touga frowned, "She will add it today, I assure you."

Somehow, Kagome knew that she would meet dead ends in her quest for productivity. However, that hardly would stop her from trying. The doorbell resounded through the mansion. Nobody made a sound and the sudden clicking of heels on the marble floor sounded loud and ominous. A maid opened the door and bowed for a petite woman with wavy, brown hair. She wore a beige suit, a set of short pearls, and white, four-inch heels. Her look was immaculate and pristine.

Touga sprung into action, rising out of his chair, "Hime-san, what a surprise!"

She nodded with a smile, "Hai, Takahashi-san, I'm here to perhaps stay a while and catch up with my husband and, of course, to represent my father's company, Amaretsu."

InuYasha looked to Miroku, who held a tight grip on his fork. Kagome and Sango looked at each other and then stared at the young woman. She seemed every bit the business woman, with beauty to boot. Rin, the only unaffected, stood up and walked right past Hime without any proper greeting.

"It's quite late Hime-san. We'll leave you to get settled in on your own, if it isn't too much trouble."

Miroku pulled a maid aside and talked to her quickly and she ran off without a word. After that, he too left the breakfast table. InuYasha and his father followed close behind. Sesshomaru fell into step with them half way to their father's home office. Once inside, Miroku paced frantically as they took their respective seats.

"Why is she here?"

"I'm afraid I do not know Miroku. Perhaps she hopes to fix the failing venture between our companies."

"What company is she representing, if you don't mind my asking," InuYasha interrupted. "I'm hoping my hearing failed me and I heard wrong back there."

Touga blinked, "I wouldn't see why. Amaretsu. Hime's father, Kudoshi, built it from the ground up."

InuYasha's eyes narrowed, "Bet he did. But word in our networking is that he's been dealing in the Black Market. The companies we're in alliance to refuse to look over their contracts."

Touga's eyes narrowed in an unfocused direction. Hadn't he sent a team of men to scout out rumors, discredit any if possible? Some men were sure to be terminated quickly; there was no incompetence in his company. Soon he'd have to do many things himself, if only to make sure they were done correctly.

"So we've been providing them with protection from other companies? From bankruptcy?"

InuYasha shrugged, "Of course I'm not completely sure, but they've been predicted to fail in the next few months. Amisai might serve as their cover up for their sizable income and Hime-san may be here to secure her financial status as Miroku's wife, just in case."

Miroku frowned, "We signed a prenuptial agreement. Even if we divorced, our assets would remain our own."

InuYasha laughed, "Perhaps she wished to make you fall in love with her and secure herself that way. Many men are known to let their fortunes slip through their fingers in regards to their women."

Miroku sighed, finally dropping into a seat.

"Even if I wanted to make it work, it would be impossible. There is too much tension and remorse between us. I'm afraid that this can only end badly. When I see her, I only think of duty and work."

InuYasha looked at him aghast, "That any woman could bring about such an emotion…"

Touga had a frown etched on his face, "For now she stays. She is still part of the family. However, I want you to look into these rumors in the States."

Sesshomaru and Miroku listened attentively to their directions. InuYasha felt slightly out of place in the discussion then. His loyalty didn't lie with Amisai anymore – it lay with Xaiden. In a way, he realized, he was becoming the point of communication between the two. Soon enough, he'd be neutral ground, per se.

"Miroku, I want you to do this personally. Sesshomaru and I will take up your burden while you are gone."

InuYasha could feel Miroku's joy, He would leave his wife and burden behind, if only for a while. InuYasha empathized with his younger brother. The exhilaration of freedom only a few breaths away was irresistible in its seduction. Miroku was being given the opportunity to live the life that he'd been deprived of, if only for a few days.

"Now that we have taken a proper course of action, I'm delighted to say it's time to respectively retire and head to work, perhaps."

They nodded in agreement and filed out. InuYasha stayed behind and frowned. A voice in the back of his head silently wondered if Miroku would return from his trip at all. After all, what bird would willingly return to its golden cage?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: - _Secrets & Rumors_**

They met up with the rest of the mansion's occupants in the living room. Miroku caught Sango's eyes and lit up when she turned away quickly.

"Father, I'm afraid I may need a guide in New York…"

InuYasha met up with Kikyou and they left the room together. Touga chuckled and also left, leaving Sesshomaru to ponder on the three missing occupants. Hime would surely be in one of the guest bedrooms, led astray by one of the maids that Miroku had bribed. Rin and Kagome, however, eluded him completely. He wasn't sure when he'd taken to calling her by her name, as if she would ever know. Perhaps his lack of speech was making him lose his mind. If Rin were in her room, her music would surely carry through the empty halls. His eyes narrowed and he took up a brisk pace. After a quick inspection, he noted both women gone. He was beyond angry, Rin knew better than to leave unaccompanied. The last time she'd gone out alone they'd been lucky enough to find her, otherwise…

"I can't believe you…"

"Are you kidding? He tried to-."

The bits of conversation floated along hallways into Sesshomaru's sensitive ears. His calm patience was wearing thing. His brother and those other people were invading his home. What right did strangers have to change the flow of their day to day lives? He picked up his pace until he caught up with the two just as Rin closed the door to her room. The other turned around with a stiff posture, they'd been caught together. He bore into her with his eyes.

"I'm going to assume you're angry. Just a guess, however," she quipped with a half smile.

Well, he couldn't very well hit his point across, much less speak. Or could he? He should. Rin was being placed in unnecessary danger. Who in their right mind let family run around with strangers? His younger sister was more important than his promise to his late mother.

"Never again."

She didn't seem surprised in the least. She nodded and walked away. Somehow he knew it wouldn't happen again without his knowing. More so, he was surprised at hearing his own voice. It sounded foreign, strangely pleasing, and he was almost vain enough to desire the sound.

"Just to ease your mind: Rin and I went to pick up one of her friends at a club. She got herself into a bit of trouble and I responded."

Rin, on the other side of the door breathed a sigh of relief. She'd gotten into the bathroom and realized that Kagome might just let Sesshomaru know what she'd been caught doing. Kagome had stumbled upon her as she tried to pick the lock to her father's office in order to steal keys to one of his many cars. Kohana needed a ride home and quick. She covered her face with her hands and smiled, if anything she'd found a friend.

* * *

The next day, Kagome coerced Miroku into letting her accompany him to Amisai. A few good words on his behalf to Sango and Miroku was a slave to her command. He'd noted that she was unusually quiet and didn't say a word the entire ride there. In truth, Kagome's thoughts lay elsewhere. She was officially on auto-pilot. Miroku stared at her as she unbuckled her seatbelt, her eyes still unfocused.

His voice was deep, rich, pleasing…

"Higurashi-san!"

"Huh?"

She caught Miroku's confused eyes and noticed they were standing in the middle of the parking structure.

"Sorry, I've been a little distracted," she said with a sheepish grin.

He smiled and waved her off, resuming his walk towards the Amisai building. Inside, he wondered just what troubled the young business woman as he weaved through the crowd. He'd seen Rin in a car with her the night before, they'd come back late. Surely Sesshomaru had intercepted them and glared them for a minute. What else could've possibly happened to have her so lost in thought? Perhaps InuYasha hadn't explained Sesshomaru's condition to her and so she thought him rude. He stopped midstride and she looked at him curiously.

"Kagome-sama, you must've met Sesshomaru last night and I-."

"Well isn't this building just crawling with beauties today."

Kagome looked up at the man that interrupted their conversation and noted the arrogance that seemed to come off him in waves. It did not suit him at all, not as well as it suited Sesshomaru. She shivered in response to his name. She prayed that Sesshomaru Takahashi never set his eyes on her; she'd be a slave to his voice for eternity.

"Oooh and this one shivers at the sight of me."

"Kouga," Miroku started with warning in his voice, "this is Higurashi-sama. She's a part of the Xaiden group."

Kouga smiled, ignoring Miroku as usual. This young woman had piercing blue-grey eyes, he found himself captivated in her frown. It was rather intriguing that she hadn't tried to slip him a piece of paper with her details on it yet, but soon enough he'd have it all. He always did, it was the way of the world when Haroshi Kouga was involved. Her ebony hair ended in curls and he wanted to know if it was all natural.

"So this is what InuYasha's company brought along, is it?"

"Excuse me, where'd you learn your manners?"

Her voice, beautiful and powerful, carried through the large hall. Everybody stopped and silence followed her demand. She didn't seem to notice, or perhaps she didn't care. Kouga stared at her confused.

"I'm standing right here, there is no need to speak of me as if I were property. Takahashi-san did not bring me here, I believe I can do all of that on my own. My corporation is in alliance with Amisai and I should hope that you will show me the proper respect from this point on. I will not tolerate such indecency from anybody, much less one such as yourself."

At that point Kagome's eyes caught sight of another Takahashi: Sesshomaru. People seemed to part for him like the seas parted for the gods. His glasses rested on his face giving him more importance than usual, and Kagome wanted to bow to him. Instead she straightened up, narrowed her eyes and started walking.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!"

Kouga made to grab her but his hand stopped short of its destination. Sesshomaru took off his glasses and glared at him before pushing Kouga away. Kouga stumbled back and Miroku pulled him aside. Kagome shot another glare his way and continued towards the elevators, Sesshomaru's hand on her back.

Kouga laughed, "You're kidding me right? She has the hots for your mute brother!"

Miroku glared, "You may be a close friend Kouga, but you'd better watch what you say. She's the owner of Xaiden, you should read the company memos a little more often."

Kouga crossed his arms, "Women fall to my charms, and I will have that woman if I wish it."

Miroku chuckled and shook his head, "She's a different breed Hiroshi, and on top of it all she's family."

Kouga froze on the inside. Takahashi Touga was well known to be fiercely protective of the females in his family. If it hadn't been his previous wives, it had been his only daughter. Now he'd acquired a daughter-in-law and apparently Kagome was also family.

"I-Is she Sesshomaru's wife?"

Miroku almost choked at Kouga's question and the nervous expression he bore. Miroku watched his brother and the female board the elevator with a strange smile. Sesshomaru normally didn't interfere with Kouga and his abuse of the female workers in the company, that's what security did. This time, however, Kouga had been deprived of his usual philandering by the man himself.

"She might be," Miroku concluded.

He watched Kouga walk away and realized that the entire company would think Kagome Higurashi was Sesshomaru Takahashi's fiancée in a matter of hours.

"Kouga!"

Panic seized him when he realized the man was gone and no amount of begging would keep the womanizer's mouth shut. That sort of comment would save his reputation of being a ladies man and Kouga was all about reputation.

* * *

Kagome couldn't find a temperature appropriate enough in such close quarters to the man that had occupied her thoughts for the past hours. She felt the chills attacking her spine, and she felt her shirt begin to stick to her skin. She could've sworn that the man himself was a desert; radiating heat like no fireplace could ever hope to do. The time in the elevator slowed down to imperceptible milliseconds. It felt like it took weeks to reach the top floor. Had she been going to the top floor? Hadn't she been accompanying Miroku Takahashi? The elevator stopped, Sesshomaru grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out.

"Hey," she protested vehemently, "a simple 'follow me' would suffice, you don't have to lead me!"

The receptionist gave her a shocked look and Kagome fell into step, "Okay, so maybe that was a little rude, no need to stare with an open mouth."

Sesshomaru could've died laughing. The girl didn't know! Perhaps that's why she didn't look at him as if he were a lost cause, why she didn't look at him with pity shining in her eyes. He dreaded the moment she found out, the day she would come back and apologize profusely and give him a notepad so that he could circle whether he forgave her or not. He half wished the girl never knew.

Kagome felt like a package the way Sesshomaru dropped her off in his father's office. Miroku caught up with her not too long after and explained that Kagome had been going into withdrawal from the lack of work.

Touga frowned, "It hasn't even been a day, how can she be going into withdrawal?"

Kagome smiled, "Now Takahashi-sama-."

"And what is this about Kagome and Sesshomaru-."

Miroku coughed, "About that…"

Kagome gasped, "Oh my god you know."

Miroku looked at her surprised, she knew about his mistake?

"I was going to tell you, I swear."

Touga looked at her strangely, "How did this happen?"

Miroku intervened, "I think I'll explain the situation in private. Higurashi-san, if you go down this hallway, the last door is InuYasha and his associate."

Kagome nodded with a frown and left the room.

Touga glared at his son, "How is it that the entire company now believes that Higurashi-san is married to your brother Sesshomaru?"

Miroku chuckled, "About that…"

He retold his story and Touga remained unamused, "When your brother finds out about this…"

As if on cue, Sesshomaru walked in and threw a copy of the e-mail into Miroku's face.

Touga sighed and turned back to his computer. His eyes widened and he picked up the phone. After a few seconds he slammed the phone back onto its receiver and he glared.

"So our entire staff and some of our board members know about Sesshomaru's marriage. They're rather happy for you."

Miroku cringed, "I'll take care of it."

"See that you do."

* * *

Kagome flopped down into one of InuYasha's chairs and glared into space. He kicked Hojo out under the pretence that Kagome needed coffee. The guy happily obliged; anything for his beautiful crush. InuYasha cringed at the adoration in his eyes and settled down once he left.

"So what bit your ass today?

Kagome glared at him, "I'm still your boss stupid."

InuYasha shrugged, "Well?"

"Your older brother dragged me around like a stupid rag doll today."

InuYasha gave her a strange look.

"He didn't bother to say 'hey follow me' or something, he just grabbed and walked me like a dog," she said angrily.

"Well," he said slowly, "what do you expect? The guy doesn't talk."

Kagome huffed, "Not often, anyway."

"No," he reiterated, "he doesn't talk."

"Whatever, he sure did talk last night."

InuYasha rolled his eyes, "Kagome, that guy hasn't spoken since our mother died. He blamed himself for the entire thing and then gave up talking."

Kagome glared at him, "Thanks InuYasha, maybe if the guy hadn't spoken to me last night."

"Must've been dreaming about the guy already then," Miroku, who'd appeared behind her chair, said. "He doesn't speak to anybody. Not his family, not anybody."

Kagome turned in her chair and frowned. She'd heard him clear as day; she'd even spent hours contemplating his voice. Perhaps that was why it was so entrancing, because it was aged to perfection as wine, precious enough to only be heard once in a lifetime. She didn't push the subject with the brothers, perhaps Sesshomaru didn't want her to go around letting them know that the moment he decided to use his vocal chords it wasn't with his family. In his defense, however, it was for his family.

* * *

"Psst!"

"Huh?"

"Psst! Rin-chan! Did you get in trouble last night?"

Rin turned slightly in her seat and smiled at Kohana, "Nope."

Kohana's face lit up and sat back in her seat. Rin returned to the doodles on her notebook. She knew she should pay attention but the changes in her home had her preoccupied. InuYasha returned, for an indefinite amount of time, and brought strangers along. She knew them better than they knew themselves! Her brothers all had their own special talents: Sesshomaru was just the best of them. Miroku had a way with people, InuYasha had a way with numbers, and Rin had a way with finding information thought to be long buried.

"I want a report on the true definition of calculus and examples of its use in your daily lives by this Friday. You are free to go."

Rin shoved her notebook into her purse (which was quite large) and walked out with Kohana right behind her. They giggled about the previous night and Rin laughed out loud, she'd gotten off the hook scotch free. Her overprotective brother hadn't so much as pulled her aside. Usually when she did something he deemed idiotic he wrote her an entire letter or memo and made sure she received it come morning.

"Nope! No letters, no memos. Whatever that lady said to him last night must've been good."

"Oh that's right, Kagome-san!"

Rin smiled, "Mhm. She didn't even say anything to my dad about the entire situation. She kept it all a secret and even winked at me during breakfast. I like her better than I like my sister-in-law."

Kohana giggled, "Why don't you like your brother's wife again?"

"InuYasha's wife… She's the reason this entire thing started. If she hadn't swung her hips in my brother's direction he wouldn't have left and Miroku wouldn't be married to her."

They reached a bench underneath a couple of trees that offered shade from the heat. They sat down and Rin pulled out a water bottle.

"Yeah, Miroku's wife is staying at our house 'hoping to get closer to her husband'. Bunch of bullshit," she muttered, whispering the last part with resentment.

"Hime-san? I overheard my daddy saying that her father's company is on the verge of destruction," Kohana said with a finger on her chin and her eyes to sky, trying to remember the details. "Maybe she's trying to keep herself financially secure?"

Rin sipped some water, "Miroku refuses to have anything to do with her, wife or not. He resents her for the entire situation."

Kohana nodded sympathetically, "I guess it makes sense. But still, how can you get rid of a woman desperate to keep her expensive lifestyle? I mean, if daddy didn't have money…"

"Oh shut up Kohana," Rin giggled. "I can look up that woman's entire file and ruin her… in seconds."

Kohana cringed at the smile on her best friend's face. Rin looked down at her watch and they both realized they had five minutes before their next class.

"We'll talk later, alright?"

Kohana nodded and they parted ways. Rin Takahashi threw away her water bottle and rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. What better than to use her powers for greatness? If Miroku couldn't get rid of her, Rin sure as hell would. There was no room for Hime Amaretsu in the Takahashi family tree as far as she was concerned.

Better late than never, as always. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: - A Refreshing Thought  
**

Koga drummed his fingers on his desk, slouched in his office chair, with a sulky expression. Married. The girl he'd hit on was married to the mute son of one of the richest men in Japan. Where was the sense in that? Women like Higurashi needed to be told of their great beauty at every turn. He thought back and realized he didn't know her name. With a smile he realized she must've done it so that he'd be curious, she wanted him.

"Hiroshi-san?"

He looked up, "Yeah?"

"Takahashi-san wishes to speak to you."

His secretary, a red-head named Ayame, stared at him with wide green eyes. Kouga knew the girl wanted him, but he'd never taken advantage of her. She had pulled some sort of grudging respect from him and he refused to touch her (to her disappointment). He pulled himself up, nodded, and she left the room. Miroku walked in with a serious expression and Kouga pulled himself up. When it came down to it all, Miroku Takahashi was still boss in the company.

"I came to clear up a rumor you've begun to spread around Hiroshi."

Kouga stared at his friend confused beyond comprehension. He was known for chasing skirts, not for gossiping with his girlfriends in the break room.

"Excuse me?"

"Takahashi Sesshomaru and Higurashi Kagome are not married. I'm afraid you misunderstood my statement to you earlier."

Kouga leaned back in his chair, content to finally know his future wife's name.

"So she ain't married," he stated with a smile.

"No," Miroku relented, "but she's still family Kouga. I'd watch myself if I were you."

Kouga chuckled, "I was just about to tell you how I thought a married woman only meant a challenge. Your father is only the ultimate challenge and Hiroshi Kouga likes challenges."

Miroku buried his face in his hands, "Do what you will with your life. I'd stay away from her during hours though; I think Sesshomaru would kill you if you tried to touch her again."

Kouga looked at him curiously, "Why's that?"

Miroku shrugged with an equally pensive look, "Don't know, but he took her straight to InuYasha, who I can tell you would definitely kick your ass until you spoke Spanish. She's related to us through his wife and he's taken to her as a brother. I'm not quite sure you want to see just how much InuYasha's grown."

Kouga didn't care for InuYasha or anything involving him. He held some small amount of resentment towards him for leaving his brother to deal with his burden, but the greed for freedom was justified. He'd have to play nice with the guy; he could just be the ticket to Higurashi Kagome.

"Hiroshi."

"She's mine Takahashi," Kouga grinned. "She'll fall for my wit and charm and by the end of the next year she'll be my wife."

"Right," Miroku mocked. "Let me bet you how many children Sesshomaru will have given her by then."

***

Good God he had to avoid the woman. He'd caught sight of the memos that had circulated through the offices and was appalled that they should think that because he'd defended the female she was his wife. In a normal life he'd marry some girl he deemed worthy, but not even the gold diggers wanted to marry a rich and intelligent mute. Instead he got stuck with a persistent female from the States. He knew what she wanted: To know why exactly he spoke to her when his family hadn't heard his voice in years. Surely she thought herself special and wanted to boost her ego by hearing it from his mouth. He still questioned his sanity in that one moment he decided to let his vocal chords stretch.

Asuna Takahashi had been Touga's first wife. They'd had two children together, InuYasha and Sesshomaru. On the night of her murder, Touga and InuYasha had been away. Sesshomaru had been home with his mother, on a rare occurrence since his brother had been born, and they hadn't paid much attention to an oncoming storm. The wind blew outside with a great intensity and the lights flickered every few minutes. Sesshomaru paid them no mind as he concentrated on Asuna and the game they played. The servants milled around the household, unable to leave due to the weather. Unfortunately, just as they could not leave nobody could arrive. Touga and InuYasha were stuck at the office (Touga had taken InuYasha to meet his godfather). Asuna hadn't approved of the outing in the least. A rival of the company had recently made threats to the family and InuYasha was too young to protect himself, but Touga had ignored her.

"Sesshou, leave those cards alone. Cheating is never allowed, remember?"

"Hai okaa-san."

The room turned pitch black. Asuna's fear coursed through her veins. The generator should've kicked in; the lights shouldn't have been off for more than a few seconds. She grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and pulled him towards the stairs. The maids were scurrying around looking for candles and matches, confused.

"What happened to the generator? Go get Iyoshi to check it out."

"I don't know, hold on."

Asuna grabbed one of the lit candles and tipped it forward, the wax dripping onto the floor. She pulled on her son's hand and walked up the stairs, aiming for her bedroom. Sesshomaru had begun to whine in complaint and she had silenced him with a few harsh words. She felt panic, senseless fear. The storm had knocked the lights out but she felt that there was more to it. She opened her door and shoved her son inside.

"Go open the door your otou showed you the other day."

He walked towards the closet and shoved clothes out of the way and unlatched a hook and opened a small door. Meanwhile, Asuna locked her bedroom door and prayed to the Gods that her husband would be home soon, regardless of the weather. Her feet padded across the room to her son and she felt the sting of wax against her skin. She hissed and kept going. Sesshomaru stepped into the small room inside of the closet. A bang startled his mother and she blew out the candle for added protection, the smell of smoke quickly spreading. She pressed her body onto the small concealed door and Sesshomaru cried out as his fingers got caught. Her breath caught and she eased off the door, her heart beat pulsing in her ears. She could faintly hear the screams of her employees; she hoped she might've been delusional. The door knob jangled and she hoped it was her husband or an employee, anybody with good intention.

When a single gun shot rang in the room and the bedroom door swung open, Asuna trembled in fear. She couldn't bring herself to step out of the closet, but she realized her son was in danger. Somehow she stumbled out and met the crazed eyes of a murderer. There was no other explanation and her imagination was working overtime. The second gunshot shocked her. Looking around she couldn't see where it hit and when she looked back at the door frame the man was gone. Perhaps she had imagined it all.

"Okaa-san?"

She turned to the closet and felt dizzy. She was coming off her adrenaline rush. Her son rushed to her side and she couldn't bring herself to tell him to stay where it was safe. He touched her stomach and she winced. Looking down she saw her soaked clothes.

"Oh baby," she whispered as she crumpled to her knees.

Her son was crying his little heart out, and pushing his little hands against her stomach. She almost smiled at his naïveté; nothing short of a miracle could hope to staunch the flow of her blood. Her fingers tingled as the blood began to rush towards her wound and she didn't have the energy to move towards the phone. She heard footsteps running towards them and she lifted her hand to move her son behind her, but that small amount of movement caused her pain. She winced and was relieved to see her husband at her side.

"Touga…"

Sesshomaru watched the scene through blurry eyes. That man had found them because he'd whined and cried at his crushed fingers. His crushed fingers meant nothing to him now, his mother was slipping away. He could feel it in his bones, in his heart. He met his father's eyes and he could see his lips moving.

"Son, are you alright?"

Sesshomaru shook his head. He refused to speak, he refused to cry out. There was no way he would kill any more of his family by letting a sound escape his cursed lips. He looked at his mother's half lidded eyes as she tried to keep her eyes open. He moved his eyes to his father's stricken face, with the imprint of his mother's hands as she left bloody trails as her hands fell to her side, immobile.

_I promise okaa-san…_

***

InuYasha and Kouga were locked in a staring match. They hadn't seen each other in years and for Kouga to show up trying to hook up with his sister-in-law did nothing for they're past dislike of each other. InuYasha hated womanizers with a passion, as one had made it hard for him to get close to Kikyou in the first place.

"Higurashi-san," Kouga started with a smile, leaning against the door frame to InuYasha's office, "I was hoping to have a quick word with you."

Kagome looked at him with an estranged smile. He looked good, he knew he did, but he wasn't used to that sort of smile. She gave him the look that he was used to seeing on women when his friends flirted with them. The pitying look that she gave him then was the one his friends got right before…

"I'm sorry Hiroshi-san, I wasn't aware that we had any business with each other. I don't think that our departments overlap in any way."

Right before they got rejected. He wasn't sure if his mouth was open, although he could bet his life that his eyes were wide as saucers. He couldn't remember a time when he'd been rejected twice by the same woman. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been rejected!

"Hiroshi-san? Hiroshi-san."

Kouga blinked twice, "Hai Higurashi-san?"

"Did you need some water, you're looking a little sick?"

"Iie, I just remembered that I have a project meeting to attend to. I will speak to you later."

He left quickly and InuYasha smiled. Kagome turned to him and glared.

"And just what is so funny?"

"That rejection was. Hiroshi Kouga's ego is as big as the earth and the surrounding planets. For a beautiful woman such as yourself to reject him twice in one day.."

Kagome huffed and walked away. It was time for her to move on anyway; soon enough Hojo would return and begin his incessant staring. She didn't feel like pretending to not notice. If she stayed to direct an office in Japan, she swore she would send Hojo back to her brother, for her own peace of mind. She peeked into many rooms and in the end she hated to admit to herself that she was looking for the oldest Takahashi. She knew that he'd avoid her, as if he hadn't slipped enough with a stranger already. Who was she to think that he'd open up to her and, by some miracle act of the Kami, speak forever after? She stopped in the middle of the hallway and berated herself. She was being curious and nosy where she should be professional.

She stopped the first person she saw and asked for directions, "Could you direct me to Takahashi Miroku-san, please?"

***

That morning Sango awoke to find herself utterly alone in the overly large Takahashi mansion. She could've almost sworn that when she'd returned to her room Kagome had been stepping into hers with the intention of sleeping. It was quite obvious to her now that Kagome had fooled her and tagged along with one of the Takahashi men. She dressed herself casually and prepared to get lost in the huge Takahashi home. If by luck she found a servant, perhaps they'd be kind enough to entertain her until the return of her dearly departed friend. Once she reached the end of the stairs she was startled to see an equally lost Kikyou.

"They leave you too?"

Kikyou nodded, "Apparently not even my husband decided to let me in on the plan for today. I woke up alone and utterly lost in this maze."

"I'm sure the sleep was wonderful for the jet lag though," Sango giggled.

Kikyou nodded with a smile and looked away from Sango, scoping out her surroundings. Somewhere from deep inside the house the chimes of a grandfather clock reverberated down the halls. The four distinct chimes let the women know just how much later in the day it actually was. They heard the hustle and bustle of the maids towards the front of the house. Rin appeared around the corner with a look of determination. She paused before Kikyou on her way to the stairs.

"I may not like you, but the other hussy in this house has done more wrong to this family than you have. Take a break sweetheart."

Just as swiftly as her words bit into Kikyou, she weaved between the two women and ran up the stairs.

Kikyou turned to Sango, "I think I've just been likened to a hussy."

Sango's wide eyes gave away her consternation and she lifted her hands palms up as a show of her speechless state. What could one say in such a situation? Rin was not young enough to say that her thoughtless speech was due to her inability to judge right from wrong. No, Rin was just a strong, straightforward character that seemed to have taken a bit of a shine to Kikyou in a rather different way.

***

Sesshomaru stood stiff in the elevator with the one woman he'd sworn to avoid for the rest of his life just earlier. He'd actually felt at ease when he realized that she'd stopped looking not too long after he'd deduced that she was searching him out. After an hour, he'd felt safe once again and had completely forgotten about her. Miroku had dropped a report off in his office that had taken up his entire time and concentration. The elevator had stopped a floor below his and she'd stepped on, deeply immersed in her phone conversation. She'd obviously come from InuYasha's office and was in an argument with somebody about transportation. Obviously, Rin hadn't gone through the trouble of lifting the citywide ban on any sales being made to one Kagome Higurashi and so she was still having trouble. Miroku would surely be staying later and InuYasha with him. Somehow it fell to him to safely get her back to the Takahashi home. She'd slammed her phone shut and thrown it at the elevator wall with great force. The elevator jerked to a harsh stop and she fell backwards.

"Ooof!"

When she recovered enough to open her eyes properly, they were wide as saucers.

"Oh my god, I didn't mean to break it!"

He remained silent and she oblivious to his presence. She couldn't possibly believe that she'd broken the contraption by throwing her useless phone at one of the four walls?

"Well it's obviously a poor piece of crap engineering if it can't take a cell phone to the wall!"

***

Kouga Hiroshi had run up the stairs in an attempt to be sneaky and catch Kagome alone. He'd gotten to InuYasha's floor just in time to see the doors to the elevator close. He ran to her and was disappointed to have them close in his face rather quickly. Unhappy and faced with his failed endeavor, he jammed the down button repeatedly. When that didn't seem to make her magically appear, he jammed the up button just as much. He growled and made his way back to the stairs. When he got to the floor below he did the same thing: jammed the up and down buttons incessantly. He did this all the way to the first floor. Somebody tapped his shoulder and he turned around and glared at the man.

"Sir, I'm going to need you to cease and desist."

"What the bloody hell are you on about? Can't you see I'm quite obviously busy?" he gestured at the button.

"Sir, I'm with maintenance and that," he gestured with exaggeration, "is obviously broken."

Kouga stepped back and looked up and felt the dread sink well into the pit of his stomach. He'd gone and broken the elevator and instead of catching his dream girl, he'd gone and isolated her in an unreachable box. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the black jacket he knew all too well by the two stupid, useless buttons it had in the back.

***

His tiny fingers worked to rewire the box he'd obviously messed up. That's what he got for messing around with all the electronics downstairs after Touga had specifically told him not to. After so many years of his father's warnings proving to be true, he still hadn't learned. He should've known that not all of the things he was rewiring were useless! The stupid box had been attached the wall to begin with, but the stack of the other treasure-like junk he'd found had bumped into it and caught his attention. The different colored wires, the bright little green lights going crazy, he couldn't stop his curiosity from expanding and taking hold of his little mind. His bright green eyes had zigzagged from wire to wire. His fingers yanked wires, touched them to each other (dropped them when he fried his fingers, again), switched them from outlet to outlet.

"Gahh, why is this piece of crap not color coordinated like every other electronic in existence!"

He glared at the box full of blues, reds, yellows, and whites and suddenly likened himself to the men in action movies. This was his bomb ticking towards his doom and he had minutes before certain death. He narrowed his eyes and cracked his fingers. Granted, his certain doom would come in the form of his retainer Jaken, who's hobbled steps he could already hear coming closer.

***

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. Only I go to different countries and realize that they are underdeveloped technologically or know just where to hit to make it all break apart."

She held her head in her hands, obviously having a mental breakdown. Sesshomaru felt no remorse in letting her sit there and wallow in her self pity. That is, until his phone went off in his pocket. She whirled around and glared at him. Almost in slow motion, he watched her stand, yank his phone from his phone, and throw that one at the wall as well.

"You've been there the entire time and didn't say anything!"

His eyes widened sarcastically, unsure if she wanted an answer still or if she'd stutter an apology in a second when she realized she'd been _uncallous_. The seconds ticked by ever so slowly as he waited for the break down and, as disappointing as it would be, the barrage of pity and apologies.

She glared him down, "What?"

He cocked his head to the side, almost confused. He'd been almost positive, close to swearing, betting his life, on the fact that they'd told her about his, uh, problem.

"Oh I know buddy," she responded quickly.

Jabbing a finger into his chest, she continued her rant, "And I don't give a damn if you can't say a damn word or, should I say, don't _choose_ to say a damn word. That just means you take what I want to say and you can't be a smart ass back!"

Well, Sesshomaru thought, that was a refreshing change of thought.

***

I'd thought for sure that this bit was up, but I guess not. A sudden bit of motivation and BAM there goes the relentless typing again. Enjoy (:


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: - When in the Trinket Box

If it hadn't been once, it hadn't been just twice. Jaken hobbled around on a twisted ankle, relying on his handmade cane with two grotesque heads that he'd carved himself onto the top. He grew more and more fragile by the day, too fragile to keep up with the likes of a young boy of ten, who had curiously inherited his adopted mother's penchant for getting into things that were very much so avoidable and his adopted father's persistence to keep working on broken things. It had been so long ago since Izayoi had decided that she wanted to adopt a child, a specific child. It had shocked authorities to see Takahashi Touga's second wife so belligerent in public and so bent on getting her way. The boy had been caught stealing her belongings and instead of being furious and disgusted, as much of the upper society would've been, she demanded the boy's parents be found.

_I'm an orphan, lady!_

He'd spoken a different language to her heart with his foul mouth and she'd crushed him to her chest with all the adoration only a mother could possess.

_If you have no parents, then by all means I claim you as mine you foul, dirty, handsome boy._

His green eyes had shot up into his messy hair and had begun to wail incessantly inside of the police station. Touga could not believe his wife, but made no move to stop her. The authorities kept the boy for a week, searching high and low for the boy's parents but only met with dead ends. Soon enough they met with Izayoi's triumphant gaze as she grabbed the young boy's hand and led him out of the detention center. Child services tried to stop her and she glared them down with a quick _speak to my lawyer imbecile._ He thought he'd died and gone to heaven when they got to the entrance of her property, he knew it when they reached the front door. She led him by the hand and soon enough, the true horror began.

_No filthy boys will run rampant in __**my**__ house._

She'd shoved him into warm water, filled to the brim with white foam and scrubbed him from head to toe. He'd blushed and sputtered the indecency and she glared him down, as she seemed prone to do when contested in her way.

_Got something to say? No boy of four has decency when in his mother's presence!_

She'd pinched his cheeks, clothed him, given him a room, and then presented him to his brothers. The oldest looked at him with curious eyes, silent as the dead; the younger two seemed ready to burst. Once she let go of his tiny fingers, they'd attacked him. He'd been pulled a million different ways for days. InuYasha wanted to show him how well he'd done on his math test and his new video games. Miroku wanted to show him the posters of nude women he'd sneaked out of his parents' bedroom and to retell the tale of just how he'd sweet talked his way out of groping an older woman at the day care center earlier. Then came his sister, slightly younger than he, whom had gotten it into her head that he was her latest present who'd come to play tea party.

_Rin, if you don't get that Barbie dress away from me I'll scream for Izayoi-mama!_

He'd been crushed, to say the least, when his father decided he should study abroad with Miroku for a while. They'd returned for Izayoi's funeral and he'd refused to be cooperative after that. Miroku had been in college and transferred back to Japan to take over the family business. He'd vaguely heard part of what had occurred with InuYasha, but he held no grudge against any of his brothers. After all, his family was better than the lack of family he'd had before his Izayoi-mama.

***

It hadn't been too long since Kagome had finally decided to blast his mind to Neptune before she decided it seemed to be a nice enough, habitable place for him. She grabbed his suitcase and set it next to her and yanked him down forcefully. That in itself had been rather amusing.

"Sit. Down."

She'd yanked on his hand incessantly without any type of success.

"Takahashi Sesshomaru sit down!"

To his ever growing chagrin, she imitated him rather horribly in a small voice, "Why yes Higurashi-sama, that sounds _ever_ so lovely!"

At that point she'd kicked the back of his knees and he'd toppled over like the leaning tower of Piza was due to do quite soon, he was sure.

"It was a pleasure helping your popsicle ass."

He glared at her through narrowed eyes, wondering just why she was being so mouthy when she'd been so ashamed of being in his presence less than twenty-four hours ago. Again, she read his mind.

"What? Are you going to tell on me? Lower yourself to writing it on paper? No sir, you are much more proud than that. I'm sure you'll find some other way to get back at me and I'm ever so curious."

She unlatched his briefcase and his hand shot out to yank it away from her. She proved to be sneaky and yanked it to her chest. She turned away from him and huffed.

"I've been deprived my usual standard of productivity. So either you let me at whatever you have in here or you tell a joke buddy!"

He didn't remember the last time he'd been so bloody annoyed by somebody. Not when the mime had excitedly pointed at him and then at himself signaling _we are one and the same_. Not when InuYasha had written _do you love me, circle yes or no_. Not even when the stupid, bumbling maid had come into his room asking him questions expecting answers from an obvious (though by choice) mute! He tried to snatch it out of her hands again and she made a biting motion with another glare.

An hour later the elevator creaked slightly and they both looked up from the papers Kagome had weaseled out of Sesshomaru's briefcase. It felt like the bottom of the world had decided to move to the side and let them drop into the abyss as the elevator springs let go all at once. Kagome screamed and dove for Sesshomaru. They flew up and banged against the side of the elevator as it came to a screeching halt at the first floor. The doors opened to a crowd of very worried spectators.

"I think they got it to work again," Kagome sputtered.

_No shit._

Rin watched them all silently at dinner. All her sarcastic remarks and beautifully laid out plans had gone to hell when the awkwardness decided to prevail. Touga seemed awfully pensive, not speaking a word and eating without paying any attention to the food at all. Miroku seemed very at ease and confused, although Rin couldn't quite figure out why because Hime was sitting at his side. InuYasha kept looking at Kagome and Kikyou had pinched him repeatedly, but it didn't seem to deter her husband. Last of all, Sesshomaru was present at the dinner table with their guests. He hadn't glared at InuYasha at all. Instead it seemed he'd found a new target worthy of his speculating stares: Kagome.

Breaking the reigning silence were some awkward footsteps and the bickering of two voices.

"Tell him I failed, dropped out, transferred. I don't care! How is it that everybody else gets to come home except for me?"

Rin shot out of her seat.

"And get off your bloody ankle you idiot, I told you oof!"

"You're back!"

The entire dinner table stopped their current actions and looked towards the hallway door. Rin came back with a young boy. Kagome had found that the wine they'd set in front of her had loosened her professionalism as she found herself kneeling in front of the boy, cocking her head to the side.

"Well aren't you just the cutest thing I've seen so far."

The men at the table puffed out their chests in indignation and Sesshomaru quickly caught himself before he too felt offended. Shippou looked at her with the most curious look in his eyes. She pinched his cheeks and he almost cried with how much she resembled his adopted mother, Izayoi. Touga must've seen it because he laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Higurashi-sama, this is my youngest son: Takahashi Shippou."

Kagome stood up, "This is the most heartbreakingly handsome of your boys Takahashi-sama."

"He sure is," Rin added. "He's the baby of the family, or at least until another family member decides to bring us a new addition!"

Hime smiled, "I hope to aid in that aspect."

Touga smiled half-heartedly and Rin gave her a sarcastic smile and flipped her the middle finger. Kagome snatched her hand down as Touga turned back to them.

"Be that as it may, Shippou what in the world are you doing back in the mansion? Surely your studies have not led you back home yet?"

Shippou crossed his arms and lifted his chin, "I'll study here."

Kagome stood up slowly and looked at the oldest Takahashi, "Well Takahashi-sama, he sure did take after all of you in _that_ aspect."

***

They'd all gone to their respective rooms and Shippou had followed Rin out of the dining room for reacquaintance. Sesshomaru let his reading glasses rest on the bridge of his nose as he looked down at his papers. She'd stolen them in his face and then scribbled nonsense everywhere. He peered closer: well, perhaps not all nonsense. Some of it made sense. Perfect sense, in context, and not at all gibberish.

"Doesn't look like your handwriting much."

He concentrated his glare on Miroku's reflection in his window.

"No, doesn't quite match his usual handwriting at all."

Then leveled the same intensity at InuYasha, who was peering over his right shoulder. Both brothers slowly moved closer to his work on either side, pointing at the obvious difference and how obviously feminine the writing was.

"I bet you Kagome got her hands on his work."

Miroku nodded quietly, "That's good, she's being more involved with the company."

"And such good ideas too, look at what she pointed out about those graphs and numbers on Kudoshi's company. It's quite obvious why Hime is here, Amaretsu is getting ready for shit to hit the fan."

Miroku nodded, "She circled so many loopholes that I missed out on. It's very intelligent of her."

Both brothers looked up at Sesshomaru's annoyed gaze.

"If he could talk-."

"If he _would_."

"Yeah, whatever. He'd so would've torn us a new one by now. Look at his expression."

"You see how his brow is just twitching? I've never seen that before."

They'd see so much more if they didn't get up and out of his face. That girl seemed to have an infectious idea of toying with him. His incapacity had turned into their weapon of choice in a matter of hours.

_If you won't speak, then you might as well make up for it by listening more._

His eyebrow twitched again just thinking of how she'd snatched his reading glasses from his pocket and placed them on her face. The same reading glasses that had rested askew on her face when they'd landed ungracefully before a large crowd of spectators.

"Honestly, I came by because I'm leaving in the morning."

His attention caught and he came out of his daydream to look at Miroku. No wonder he'd been awfully calm during dinner, despite his wife's presence next to him. When faced with freedom in a matter of hours, then he too would've gained the patience of the Gods.

"And guess who's going with him," InuYasha said with a glare. "You'd better not touch a hair on her pretty head."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. Somehow, it had only taken hours for InuYasha to fall into his role in the household once again. It had always been Miroku and InuYasha, side by side in deep conspiracies. Honestly, it had been much easier to forget and, passively, forgive InuYasha back into their family. They all knew that they would've done the same thing and Sesshomaru, more so than anybody else, knew that if he had courage enough to forgive himself after so many years then InuYasha would've never been made to make such a decision. For once, he felt like speaking his heart to the world and there were none but deaf ears among him. All he had was his vain desire to hear himself speak.

***

Kagome sat in a chair, tucked into a corner of Sango's room. Her assistant was walking back and forth, putting things back into her luggage. Thankfully, she hadn't had much of a chance to take much of anything out in the first place.

"Are you sure you want me to go Kagome?"

Kagome cocked her head to the side, "Do you not want to accompany him?"

Sango blushed, "That's not quite it, I mean, I haven't been away from you for years. Are you sure you'll be alright without me?"

"I'll be fine," she said affronted, "I can take care of myself!"

Sango sighed, "Fine, fine. Don't work yourself too hard and make sure to call me if you have any questions."

Kagome watched her friend, wound up and jabbering on when something else was so obviously on her mind. Sango could not, for the life of her, trust herself around Miroku. She'd felt something the minute she'd met the man and his cocky smile had graced her vision. Kagome giggled and disrupted Sango's stroke of speech.

"What?"

"It's quite clear to me that you are all caught up with a certain Japanese man that likes his tea in black mugs."

"Cappuccino," Sango corrected quickly, with a dazed look.

Kagome shook her head, "My point exactly."

"He's married, the idea that I would even think to think of him in that way is preposterous, horrible."

Kagome shrugged, "I don't know. It was an arranged marriage out of convenience that he obviously has some negative feelings about. He tricked his wife into sleeping in a completely different room."

Sango looked at her and zipped up her luggage, "Oh?"

Caught.

"Changes rooms every night, just to make sure she doesn't sneak in during the night with one of the maids skeleton keys. I overheard Takahashi-sama talking to his family lawyer about an annulment. Since the marriage was never, you know, made _official_."

"Imagine that."

"This trip is for more than just business," Kagome turned a serious look on her friend. "If Touga's company can prove that Amaretsu not only lied to them on an official, binding contract, but also meddled in the black market… The contract will be nullified and as such, Miroku will seek his annulment first thing that night or morning. The duty that forced him into that marriage will be gone and he will be free to cut her off. Touga's company will be much better off."

***

Conspiracy. She'd deeply considered officially adding it as her middle name at some point. Right when she'd hacked into the Japan Registry during her rebellious years in high school. Of course, as a deep believer in conspiracies, she knew that perhaps that was the point. They'd allowed her to gain access knowing she'd do something that stupid and get caught. So she'd strayed away from it, didn't even look at her own registration.

"Shit. Fuck. Whore."

Rin rubbed the end of her pencil into her hair and adjusted her glasses, which were there merely for fashion purposes. She felt more focused and intelligent with them on the bridge of her nose. She didn't have much time, a small window of time in which to investigate and destroy. Miss Homewrecker had to have messed up somewhere. A lot of times.

_Hime Amaretsu. Amaretsu Hime._

And then Rin remembered. Hime's father dealt in the black market and had to have his entire family's dirty secrets covered up unbelievably well. There had been others, before Rin, to have hacked into the Japanese Registry, government files. The black market had no registry, no files. They were invisible.

_But not invincible_

Listening to Kohana earlier made her realize just what girls in their society feared the most_._ Poverty, or at least their definition of. Why would Hime be any different? If anything, it was Hime's biggest fear. It jolted her into action. It pumped adrenaline and determination into her system. It put the stupid idea of making her husband fall in love with her into her head. It pushed her into abandoning her father. Rin could see the theatrics in her head now!

_I didn't know until it was too late. As soon as I caught on I came home to my husband and confided in him. I trusted Takahashi-sama to do the right thing._

The perfect picture of an innocent, distraught wife left bewildered by her father's actions.

"Ugh, whore! Suck my invisible-!"

***

Shippou glanced at Rin's door. He raised his eyebrows, stuck his fingers in his ears and continued his walk down the hallway. He'd forgotten that perhaps, just perhaps, Rin's vocabulary had grown as well during his extended stay.

"_I wouldn't have to pay her!"_

Shippou put a little more effort into his speed walking in an attempt to keep himself from hearing more than he already had. He had a curiosity itching at the tips of his fingers, much like when he saw an electric gadget with wires patiently waiting to be tinkered with. His new gadget with frayed wires in different colors was an enchanting addition to his family. The same family that seemed to be on its way back to unity, even as their father seemed to slip further and further into his _state_. Everybody seemed to ignore the obvious, shoving all of their personal problems and perhaps offering their father an illusion of continuity. He felt his feet lift off the ground.

He gasped at the feeling of gravity pulling at the pit of his stomach and turned his head just enough to catch her smile, "You scared me."

"Yes, well, you're out wandering the halls. Something tells me you're the true trouble maker in the family."

Shippou looked appalled at her accusation, "I am easily the most innocent!"

"Virtuous, yes, but my statement still applies."

She put him down and extended her hand out to him. He took it and they continued their trip down the hall. He didn't quite know what he'd been searching her out for in the first place. He usually came upon his puzzles by sheer coincidence and perhaps a small amount of hints from the gods of mischievousness. This puzzle, however, he'd sought out consciously.

"So you were tired of studying abroad?"

"I didn't like being kept away," he answered automatically.

"Makes sense," Kagome responded without skipping a beat. "They're a unique family and treating you like you don't have a say-so can be quite challenging."

He eyed her out of the corner of his eyes, "Did you study psychology?"

Kagome turned to look at him with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, "Nope, but I can't help but be curious sometimes."

"Do you end up tangled with no way of knowing how to get back to the beginning so you can start again?"

"Always do."

Kagome looked ahead and realized this had to be the most intelligent conversation she had with anybody in this family thus far into her stay. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt him pull her out of the hallway and into a room. The walls were covered in maps, the surfaces with photographs, and she could see a small corner with fine pencils and sketches of buildings and circuitry.

"Architecture will suit you well," she said, pivoting on her feet to look around the entire room.

Shippou frowned, "That wouldn't quite fit into my father's plans for every one of his children."

"Oh? I can't see how it wouldn't fit, if that were your choice. Sesshomaru would control the headquarters, InuYasha and Miroku would give him individual reports on different aspects of acquisitions. Rin would then research all potential threats to the company and you, my man, would design the buildings when they decide to take the company international. It would be a great deal of stress, but I'm sure you would cope rather well."

She turned around and met his expectant emerald eyes. What a heartbreaker this boy would be! He stretched out his arms and held out a box to her. She took it from him and unlatched the small lock dangling from the front. She opened the lid and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A rather haunting melody, recognizing it from Schindler's List of the top of her head, resonated from within the small trinket box.

"I've got so many things I can do. I can't quite decide which is my true calling."

Kagome closed the lid and opened her arms. He hesitated for a second before he melted into her arms, feeling her satin skin brush against his until he met with her stomach.

"For now enjoy whatever calls to you in the moment. Someday, you will see that all things can be enjoyed in a lifetime with a bit of patience."

She could feel his questions teetering on the edge of an eruption.

"I am a businesswoman. I have devoted myself to building a corporation from the ground up, but when I was your age that was not my dream."

She walked him towards his piano on the opposite side of the room. She sat down and he watched her curiously. The first few notes struck a chord in him as he recognized the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. Slowly the notes faded into something more heartfelt. It brought tears to his eyes out of pure emotion. He felt an insurmountable need to do something, to accomplish something as he watched her fingers float over the keys of his majestic instrument.

***

His ears had caught the haunting melody that he'd heard for days after Izayoi had left. It belonged to Shippou's music box. The boy had used that music box to lullaby himself to sleep at nights when he missed her the most, when her presence was missed the most. His feet had led him away from his work and the beginnings of another classical masterpiece kept him in constant motion. He felt a slight pause in the music and he stopped right in front of Shippou's door. The song that struck up a half second afterwards was equally riveting, Yiruma's River Flows in You. It would resonate within him for days and make him wonder if he was lost amid a torrential sea with no idea where to begin.

In fact he felt that way the moment she'd jabbed a finger into his chest. He looked up and found InuYasha sitting across from him in the hallway. Sango and Miroku stood on his left, looking as if they were on their way out. Rin was leaning against the wall on his right, lost to the sounds of the music wandering to their ears. Their senses were heightened, sensing that perhaps they'd stumbled upon something slightly forbidden.

"Who-."

Sesshomaru glared InuYasha into silence as the last chords slowly echoed in the room. They heard Shippou quietly ask for another. They looked around and deduced that, out of the four missing, only one could possibly be in that room.

"I've learned this one recently. It's called 'Nearly Home', it was composed by Roy Todd."

Sitting there in the hallway they wondered just how long they'd wandered until they met in their current spot.

"Kagome?"

"Yes Shippou?"

"Would you mind playing until I fell asleep?"

Kagome's face split into a smile, "I wouldn't mind at all."

Sesshomaru rested his head against the wall and stared at the ceiling. What kind of enigma threw everything out of balance _into_ balance?

***

_Being utterly devoted to something as enigmatic as music brings about much inspiration._

_-Mishi Kawaii._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: - That Which is Uncontrollable

Rin wondered for the millionth time why she'd turned down the self defense classes her dad had adamantly offered when he realized that she would be around men for the rest of her life. Oh—The classes were at the same time as her computer graphics class, which was obviously more important.

"You know, we didn't appreciate being interrupted the other day."

She looked around desperately, but she knew that nobody would be looking for her. She tended to wander out for hours and she couldn't exactly pull out her phone and tell them to hold on. She stepped backwards, doing her best to stop her need to bolt.

"Ne, you aren't trying to leave are you? We came all this way to find you."

"Yeah? Well, I don't remember sending out the invitation."

Her fingers were numb as she pressed all the buttons on her phone and her mind was frazzled with all of the adrenaline pumping through her veins out of sheer fear. She'd begged for years to get her dad to let her wander around without guards. He'd never let her take a step without one if she made it out alive.

"Hey, hey sweetheart."

Her heart froze as he caught her arm and pulled her forward.

"My family had a company once and I was in your class too. All of us were. Then your dad decided to fucking blow a circuit in his old head and blamed us for some stupid crash in his mainframe."

Rin remembered that crash quite well. Her father seemed convinced and armed with proof when he'd blamed the Nokuga Systems company of crashing his company systems. The rest of the family followed blindly, they honestly couldn't be sure with both Rin and Shippou having been in the building at the same time as the accident.

"We hadn't done a thing but the judge was your dad's old best friend from college."

One of the other guys laughed, "It was suddenly all about politics and anybody that dealt with Nokuga Systems was out on the streets too."

"So we've decided to hit him where it hurts too."

Rin felt herself propelled in two directions as he landed a punch to her stomach.

***

Sesshomaru stared at his ridiculous phone, another anomaly in his life begging the question: what did they expect to happen when they called him? Like now. He looked at the phone and was slightly surprised to see that it was one of the numbers logged on his phone, Rin. He rolled his eyes and picked up, just for the hell of it. They all expected him to hit 'ignore' and let it go to voicemail because 'sometimes, Sesshomaru, you just need to hear the human voice'. His heightened hearing picked up the jabbing of different numbers and realized she must be sitting on her phone somewhere and had, as she'd grotesquely called it, butt-dialed him.

_Hey, hey sweetheart._

He glared at the phone. She wasn't supposed to be out gallivanting with males, coming from her overprotective older brother of course. Suddenly he was much more interested in her misplaced call, which had obviously been routed to him by the Gods who knew that she was much too young for the things that were going through her head, _like holding hands._

_My family had a company once and I was in your class once._

He squeezed the phone because he knew that voice and he recognized the intent behind it. He'd heard it many times before, and once quite recently.

Kagome turned around in circles in the hallway in her dark blue wrap dress as she admired her boots. She was a sucker for winter fashion and was enjoying her rare moment of femininity. Suddenly she was tripping over her boots in an attempt to change direction.

"Sesshomaru! What the bloody hell!"

She ran disoriented and let him lead her most of the way and screeched when she met the cold air at the front door.

"You have to invite people out first," she shouted at his back. "Do you need a notepad and a fucking pencil?"

Her mouth shut when he turned slightly to glare at her and opened the door to a beautiful sports car and all but shoved her in. She pulled her legs in quickly and watched as the door caught part of her dress. She was about to open the door to release it when she felt gravity punch her backwards. His arm was across her in an instant pulling her seatbelt across her chest and clicked it secure.

"Okay, okay. I'm a sucker for some mystery and this _is_ a pretty car."

***

Okay, so she hadn't expected to actually see somebody come to her rescue, much less know where she was. She'd forgotten that Sesshomaru was obsessive and had probably installed a chip in her head while she slept once. Or in her phone, that would be much easier, but not quite as sadistic. She'd been on the floor and had felt a couple of kicks, the pull of her arm out of socket when they'd pulled her up only to slap her down again. The park needed softer pavements, honestly. She'd make sure to reroute a couple of those government funds soon. Ridiculous amounts of money for carpeting in the park. She spread herself on the concrete, it's cool surface offering her a little bit of comfort.

And alright, he had expected to see a tiny woman from the States launch herself like an animal at three Japanese men. He was startled out of his frame of mind, forgetting that this was supposed to be his fight. He looked down at Rin's demented smile as she fondled the pavement. She had to be delusional from loss of blood alone. He pushed the hair from her face and dialed for an ambulance. Did he need the police? Would they still be there? He looked up and blanched.

Fine, she realized she had no self restriction at some points in time, but honestly it had all begun with Sesshomaru. He'd _stretched_ the delicate fabric of her midnight blue dress, batted her around a little, and then brought her to see these ridiculous excuses for men beating on a defenseless girl. One she quite liked, mind you. She'd kicked everything she could reach, used them as leverage, knocked them around a little to vent her own frustrations. She hadn't been able to work lately either. She had failed in her earlier attempt to steal Sesshomaru's work again, which had been humiliating in itself. He'd caught her hand in the proverbial cookie jar without looking up from his stupid book and then glared at her from above his stupid reading glasses. The attractiveness of the scene was not lost on her, but she'd been enraged nevertheless. One for the loss of her dress, another one for the horrible interruption, and the last for her failure to find productivity while Sango was gone. She bent down and tied their shoelaces together. She walked around them individually and stepped on their hands, respectively.

"One hand so that you remember it's impolite to hit ladies," she told their painfully confused expressions, "and another one so that you can't untie the laces. Practical."

"I need an ambulance and police at the Gakusen park."

Kagome whirled around and damned the wind for blowing away his voice on the wind. He glared at her and she waggled her finger at him with an infernal smile. He backtracked as he realized her nose was intimately meeting his.

"I've heard your voice."

He was obviously losing his grip on reality and his promise to his late mother. She was throwing _every_ bloody thing out of balance. Honestly.

**And it shouldn't have honestly been this short, but it was so amusing to read it in its entirety.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – When Winter Turns Cold**

Kagome alternated between glaring at her bruised knuckles and her damaged dress. She refused to acknowledge the rest of the circus that had followed after they'd reached the Tokyo University Hospital. Hime had been wailing at the top of her lungs since she'd gotten there, worried to death about her sister-in-law. InuYasha had a vice-like grip on his wife, or else Kagome was sure Kikyou would've hit the dismiss button on the alarm clock that was Miroku's wife. Sesshomaru, ironically to most, looked like he really wanted to say something about the situation and Touga hadn't stopped pacing the hall since he'd arrived.

Kagome finally opted for Sesshomaru, who caught her deadpan stare. His eyebrow twitched. The situations that he found himself in, with that woman in near vicinity, were maddening. They were all much better off at home or at the police station pressing charges against the three guys that beat Rin up. She'd suffered a mild concussion, which the doctors attributed her demand for carpeted parks to, a few scratches, and a dislocated shoulder.

Hime sniffed, "Touga-sama, what's a concussion?"

Kagome smiled and Sesshomaru had the urge to stop her lips from moving, "Concussion from the latin word _concutere_, which means to shake violently."

Hime seemed caught between being appalled and being confused as Touga answered, "What Kagome said dear."

Kikyou finally relaxed in InuYasha's arms and opted to look away from the sheer idiocy of the scene. Shippou rounded the corner with two cups in his hands.

"I knew you were getting a little tired," he said without looking up.

Hime seemed triumphant and began to lean over, only to have him shoot her a strange look before skirting around her to Kagome and Sesshomaru.

"So I brought you guys coffee," he finished slowly. "Why is she bent over like that?"

Kagome blinked owlishly, "Well Shippou, when a man and a woman-."

A throat cleared up next to her and she shut up quickly, laughing nervously at the look on Sesshomaru's face. Knowing he wouldn't have dared to make a noise she looked to her left and found the handsome doctor that had tended to the scratches on her hands.

"Dr. Yatsumoto!" she smiled. "Is Rin still refusing to see the family?"

The doctor smiled hesitantly, "No, she's asleep now Ms. Higurashi. She should be fine to go home tomorrow morning, for now we want to keep her overnight to make sure that the concussion isn't severe. For now, I'm going to ask that only one of you remain here overnight. The ICU isn't really meant for visits and large groups of people. The nurses need to be able to move quickly to help our patients."

Kagome nodded along to his words, at least until she felt a pinch on her leg. She jumped slightly at the sudden pain and looked to her right to find Shippou and Sesshomaru glaring at her. She huffed at them and stood up.

"Well, I heard the guy loud and clear. Time to move out guys!"

Kikyou opted to stay with Rin overnight and kissed her husband goodbye. Hime apologized, stating that she would've loved to stay had the position not already been occupied. Kagome caught Shippou pushing up his sleeves and taking off the lid of Sesshomaru's coffee cup. She stifled a laugh and managed to pry his hands away from the cup so that Sesshomaru could take it back.

"Come on, before you find some wires you'd like to tamper with inside of a private facility."

* * *

Sango felt beyond uncomfortable on the plane, and she couldn't help but squirm in her seat. She'd opted to have a view and Miroku, a gentleman, let her have the window seat. Now she just felt trapped between a rock and a hard place, also known as the window and Miroku's intense eyes. He'd been studying her since the moment the plane took off and he had lost access to his laptop and work. He'd switched his concentration from one piece of information to another.

He was picking her mannerisms apart, he wanted to know what she craved, desired, what made her tick and then make it his own. Oh Miroku was on a mission, he was going to explore the person that was Sango before his trip was over and she would be devoted to him. He was out to steal Kagome's secretary right from under her, who else knew how he wanted his cappuccino?

* * *

The house had slept like the dead and, paired with the falling snow overnight, the peace was welcome among the inhabitants. At least until Kagome woke up in the later afternoon. Rin had been retrieved in the early hours of the morning by her remaining brothers and had been escorted to her room after breakfast with the family. Touga, InuYasha, and Kikyou were the only ones on their way out that morning. Sesshomaru, it seemed, had come down with some sort of fever as he'd waved them away when they mentioned the work day.

Shippou covered his ears and Rin winced as Kagome's shrill scream tore through the Takahashi mansion. Sesshomaru could've sworn that the corner of his frames cracked. Kagome's bare feet slapped the floor until they stopped in front of his study and she yanked the door open. He was quite satisfied to see her hair mussed and out of place, a crazed look in her eyes, and a different shoe in each hand.

"You insufferable man, you've hidden my shoes from me!"

Sesshomaru looked appalled, was she accusing him of stealing?

"Don't give me that look Sesshomaru, you should never touch a woman's shoes!"

Shippou popped his head out of his room and caught Rin's face as she stepped out of hers. Both of them blinked at each other questioningly until they heard the unmistakable noise of paper flying everywhere.

"There! Pick up and reorganize your work prick!"

Kagome sauntered out of Sesshomaru's room with his glasses on the bridge of her nose and headed for the stairs. Rin and Shippou watched from the top of the stairs as she picked up random shoes on the staircase and continued out into the garden.

"She didn't even take her jacket," Shippou scrunched up his nose thinking of the freezing air shooting up his nostrils. "She'll catch a cold at this rate."

Rin giggled and then moaned in pain, "She's more concerned about the frostbite on her shoes right now."

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru glared at the mess the girl had made. She'd made a great show of shoving all the papers on his desk across the floor before ripping his glasses off his face and making off with them. That was the true crime in the entire event. Okay, sure, maybe he'd taken it a bit far when he'd made a trail with her prized shoes around the outside of the house, but she'd started the war. He could only defend himself.

Shippou peeked in, "That's the weirdest thing you've ever done."

"Strange and out of the norm indeed," Rin said with a cursory glance at her older brother as she walked across his door in the hall and finally back into her room.

Something, oh it's better than nothing. – Mishi Kawaii


	10. Chapter 10

"Drenched like children. Shivering. One might think you run a house of lunatics."

"I apologize for the inconvenience Officer Yakamoto. Please forward all documentation to the address on this card."

The officer took the card, bowed, and walked off leaving the room silent. They were sitting on the concrete steps leading up to the house with generic towels over their shoulders, ignoring each other.

"InuYasha, Sesshomaru, Shippo. I'm surprised to find Kagome missing."

A month had passed since Miroku and Sango had left to find information leading to the annulment of both contract and marriage to a major corporation in Japan. Since then, they'd all found themselves watching a developing war between Sesshomaru and Kagome in and out of the house. From the time Sesshomaru had decided to hide Kagome's shoes to the unmentionable time Kagome stole Sesshomaru's towel during his morning shower, nothing seemed to be off limits. Nobody ever truly saw Sesshomaru commit the crimes he was accused of and the staff remained flabbergasted at the possibility. As the head of the household and owner of such a large corporation, Taisho felt that this would normally be a PR issue that would have to be dealt with quickly. Normally. However, recently it seemed that the board of directors were more inclined to listen to the possibility of having his eldest take over someday. That in itself had been the only reason why he hadn't reigned in the potential disaster he had brewing within his four walls.

"Sesshomaru?"

All he got in response was a raised eyebrow.

"No luck there, then."

*

Having settled into a rhythm, Kagome actively sought to have an offsite location for her business for expansion purposes between the hours of 1 and 3 in the afternoon. She didn't mind the expansive office she'd been given. Some of the girls around her office had even made it possible to have a plaque on her door noting the different business name plus suite number.

Truthfully, attempting to have her own location was harder than she'd previously thought. She was beginning to realize that it wasn't worth the effort, that perhaps she was better off with the deal InuYasha's father offered. She had no intention to sell out, but perhaps her stay shouldn't be permanent. She was going from a nice walk in the US to an Olympic run across the world. She was almost saddened to learn that her brother was leading the company successfully back home. Pride should have swelled in her heart at knowing that she'd done such a fantastic job in training him, raising him. Instead she was tasting her first bit of empty nest syndrome.

"Staring at me won't help you get my attention as much as talking would."

"Well, you're in luck," Kikyou responded, "because I find myself in the habit of speaking."

Kagome smiled, "I'm not so sure. You have the figures I asked for, I'm assuming?"

Kikyou placed a handful of files on her desk and left without another word. Even she was feeling the sting of being away from home, of crashing head first into her husband's family. The stress of being a family owned company had caused some flight, some helplessness, and a great deal of animosity. Suddenly, her mind took a quick deviation and landed on the oldest brother. He'd disappeared with the youngest brothers and hadn't returned. Normally she would dismiss this occurrence as he was of no consequence to her company, her job. InuYasha, however, was. Although he had taken on a liaison role as of recently, he still answered primarily to her. She couldn't proceed without his work. She packed up her laptop with a frown.

This had to be the ultimate battle in their war against each other. At no point did he want to admit to himself that he enjoyed these mind games. He hadn't so much as had the opportunity to enjoy the presence of another human being since his mother's demise. More often than not, the presence of others led to a continuous insult to his intelligence. The interactions had become so difficult that he'd often sent others to do his bidding instead, hence his at-work assistant: Jaken. Jaken squawked enough for the both of them on a daily basis. Even so, the communication consisted of memoranda and lists. At the moment, however, he found himself without his assistant (who was on vacation) and in a very different situation. The woman was holding his towel.

She raised her eyebrow at him. He creased his eyebrows. She held up the towel as a dare. He closed the curtain, still scowling, and stared at the shower head. After such a hellish day and having been escorted home by the police, this was the last grain he could stand. He reached for it. He opened the curtain once again and, much to his amazement, she was gone. His eyes darted over to the rack and realized that his towel, too, was gone. As were his clothes. A flimsy note, instead, occupied the space of his belongings.

"Next time, don't take my employee with you on your adventures."


End file.
